Lily Evans and the Marauders- reboot
by FeeBe
Summary: Twenty years before Harry Potter received his letter inviting him to Hogwarts, his parents began their own journey and it all started with a rose.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I am not J K Rowling and I own nothing.

Anything in bold is a direct quote from JK Rowlings' writing.

I have previously posted this series here, but am extensively editing it due to numerous errors and then will move on to posting the next.

Be aware this was written for my child who was 9 at the time I began it (many years ago) and developed as she grew.

Posting will be intermittent.

I have not yet seen or read a Cursed Child so it will not be compliant with that storyline, though I have tried to keep it as canon (book) compliant as possible.

 **Lily**

On a warm Sunday afternoon, a perfectly normal family had gathered in their small cottage garden in the residential suburb of Cokeworth, to enjoy the early spring sun. The gnarled branches of an ancient willow swayed gently in the afternoon breeze causing speckled shadows to dance on the bed of roses at its base. The older of the two children had blonde curly hair, a truly extraordinary amount of neck and was sitting next to her father reading diligently. The smaller girl was happily playing with a ball under her mother's watchful gaze. More petite than her sister, her eyes were the deepest emerald green, her hair red and skin pale and soon to be freckled, in all her appearance (which little resembled her parents) marked her as a descendent of the Highlands. With an unrestrained shout, which drew a frown from her sibling, she haphazardly threw the ball into the air. It bounced once or twice before it rolled into the garden bed. With a giggle she followed it brushing past a ruby red bloom which was the first of the season's roses. Distracted by the bobbing bloom she clasped it in her chubby hand and pulled it free, unmindful of the thorns, lucky not to be wounded.

When the little girl had not returned a minute after toddling out of sight, her mother sighed knowing how easily the child became distracted, "Lily! Come back to Mummy."

Lily turned at the sound of her mother's voice and giggled mischievously. She peered around the bush that she was using as a hiding place and watched as her mother moved to embrace her father. He had stood as soon as he had noticed his youngest had disappeared amongst the bushes. Petunia, the older sister, aware that she no longer held her parent's attention stopped reading with a frown.

"I had better go and fetch her, you keep an eye on Tuney," the father chuckled, his height allowed him to spy out her hiding place easily. It was only a matter of a few steps for him to reach her, then he leaned over the roses, pulled her free of the thorny bushes and deposited her back on the lawn as she waved her flower at him with a large grin.

"A beautiful rose for my beautiful flower," he chuckled in his mellow baritone seeing the blossom in her hand. Her tinkling laughter echoed round the garden interrupting her sister who had returned to her reading. Petunia turned and glared at the redhead.

Their father bent and scooped his youngest up into his arms once more, oblivious to her sister's ire and joined Lily in her laughter. Her fit of giggles continued until her face was red and she had to pause in order to draw in a deep breath. "Fly!" she cried throwing her arms into the air in joyful exuberance.

All the colour drained from the rose leaving it pure white as it was tossed into the air and it floated into the sky, drifting against the breeze. Hesitantly her Father watched it in wonder, as it drifted out of sight until he decided it was a trick of the light and the giggling bundle in his arms distracted his attention once more.

 **Severus**

High overhead and out of sight of the little family, caught by the spring breeze the flower was lifted higher and sent spinning past a row of dirty cramped terraces in the neighbouring suburb of Spinners End. Inside one of the two-up-two-down little houses in the middle of the dilapidated row, a small boy with sallow skin and dark hair hid in a corner watching his Mother, Eileen Snape (nee Prince), work in the kitchen. The movement of the rose caught his eye as it twirled passed the window and he stared at it in adoration but was too fearful to leave his dark corner.

Years before, Eileen had belonged to the respectable Pureblood Prince family, until she had met the quiet and dour Tobias Snape. The Princes were neither poor nor well-to-do, nor particularly remarkable in any way and as such there was a limited selection of suitors interested in courting the young Eileen. This was exacerbated by her sallow skin, heavy eyebrows and slightly squinted gaze. As such when Tobias had approached the young women as she walked down the street she was flattered by his attention.

Many years had passed since that fateful meeting and unfortunately not all of them were good. The energetic young man Tobias had been, had disappeared at the same time the local saw mill had closed. Unable to find further work and facing the difficulty of raising a newly born Severus on restricted funds, Tobias searched for answers at the bottom of a bottle. Needless to say, he didn't find them. Gradually his personality changed, and Eileen could no longer remember why she had been so sure she would be happy marrying this muggle, that she had willingly accepted being disowned by her own family.

Oppressed and poverty-stricken Eileen had nearly forgotten her heritage and stood at the kitchen sink completing her tasks by hand.

"Get in 'ere ya lazy scum!" her husband's alcohol roughen voice echoed through the tiny house.

With a sigh Eileen ceased her washing, squeezing out the cloth and hanging it over the tap before quickly making her way into the next room so she could attend her Husband's wishes. With a silent groan she listened to the man complain about the state of the town, the state of their house, their lack of funds, and how both she and their son did nothing to help around the house, before he demanded his dinner and ordered her back to the kitchen. When she returned to the cramped space she was surprised to discover the washing was done and the dishes put away. Turning she saw her son standing half hidden in the shadows.

"Oh Severus," she cried eyes filled with tears, she had finally found some joy in the knowledge that his magic would give him a chance to escape the life that she had brought upon them both.

 **Peter**

There are many professions in the magical world, such as dragonologist and spell-maker, which have no equivalent in the non-magical world, however law enforcers are required everywhere and the auror's job is just as dangerous (if not more so) than the Muggle equivalent, the police. While dastardly villains such as Grindelwald and Mordred only crop up every few centuries the run of the mill criminal still has the ability to kill in two words, disappear without a trace and requires no extra equipment apart from their wand to make things explode. Because of this aurors develop a healthy attitude towards vigilance or don't last long in the profession.

One such auror Mr Peval Pettigrew had, unfortunately, not been quite vigilant enough and failed to dodge in time to avoid the spell which ultimately ended his life. Leaving behind his beloved wife Enjela, sister Enid and son Peter. He had been a good man, though overly protective of both his wife and son, in addition his wife had spoiled the boy shamelessly.

Drifting high above the rooftops the flower cast a dancing shadow on the floor of the cottage where his wake was in progress. The widow, Enjela Pettigrew, and her blonde headed son, Peter, were surrounded by fellow mourners in the parlour. Unable to contain his emotions anymore the overwrought boy gave a sharp cry, ran to his room and threw himself onto his bed, weeping. He watched as the shadow of the rose danced its way across the floor, tears still dripping down his cheeks. A short time later his mother alerted by the fact he hadn't re-entered the parlour, opened the bedroom door looking for her grieving son. She made her way to his bed in order to provide him with as much comfort as she could despite her own grieving heart.

"Oh Peter," she sighed, gently rubbing circles on his back.

"Why did he die Mummy?" he wailed, his face red, eyes and nose streaming.

"He was doing his job, love. He was trying to do the right thing and protect a family from harm," she whispered softly, holding back her own tears which were threatening to fall in order to appear strong for her son.

Peter rolled onto his back and with all the accusation a young child can muster asked "But now he can't protect us! Why did he leave us all alone?"

"Well, he knew we could protect ourselves and there are others who can't." Even to her own ears it sounded like a poor excuse for the loss of a father.

"But it isn't fair!" he hiccuped angrily. The tears stopped falling as sadness transitioned into anger and then with a sudden thought to fear. He finally managed to voice to the largest of his fears, "Who will look after us now Daddy has gone?"

His Mother drew in a deep breath to reassure him while slowly stroking his hair. "We will look after each other Peter, that hasn't changed."

"I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to look after you?" he warbles.

She looked down at him and smiled, "Well until you're big enough, I'll look after you. When you are older and have been to Hogwarts and grown into a fine young man, then you can look after me. Alright?"

She continued to console him with whispered words and gentle hands until he was on the edge of sleep. Finally, as his eyelids drooped and closed she leaned forwards to leave a soft kiss on his cheek before she returning to her waiting guests. As the sunlight beaming through the window began to fade a lamp in the corner switched on to help keep his fears at bay.

 **Sirius**

The oldest, and some would say best, wizarding families belonged to the Sacred Twenty-eight. Early in the twentieth century an anonymous author produced a compilation of those families deemed to be the most 'pure'. The aim of this work was to preserve the purity of the bloodlines. The Potters failed to make the list due to the mundaneness of their surname, it being deemed by the unknown writer that they must have sprung from tainted stock despite their illustrious relations to the Peverell line. The Black family however was most definitely one of those included in the elitist group, from their family motto 'Toujors Pur' to the fact that the latest incumbents of the family name often wished to keep the bloodline so pure they married their own cousins!

In line with their position in society each of the Sacred Twenty-eight families had their own manor house, some were located in vast estates out in the countryside and others, such as the family Black located in large Victorian inspired buildings in central London.

The wind buffeted the flower and sent it spinning towards London, over the smog filled skyline, over the steepled gables, round the bell tower and past Number 12 Grimmauld place. Grimmauld place was a fine old building with high ceilings and large windows, which might lead the reader to assume that the building was open, welcoming and light. This was not the case. Though large, the windows seemed to allow minimal light to enter the rooms, perhaps this was due to the multitude of surrounding buildings or perhaps it was due to the family who resided within the walls. Black by name, blacker by nature.

In a room on the uppermost floor, a small dark-haired boy, who had been skiving off his lessons stood with an ear pressed against his door and listened as his parents argued. There would be harsh consequences if he was discovered, however he had already learnt, even at his young age, that information had power, so he deemed the risk worth the potential gain. On this day however, the argument was over nothing more than clothes. He hated going to the shop to be fitted for new robes. His mother seemed to think it was important, something about living up to his heritage, he didn't really understand it.

"We would do well to get Sirius's clothes from Malkins; they make all the school robes after all. He must look like a Black," Orion huffed bored with his wife's attitude. In truth he knew she would never shop anywhere but Twilfitt and Tattings but making her lose her temper was one of his few pleasures in life.

"No! Mudbloods frequent _that_ place," she spat, face contorted in revulsion. "You see them every August scurrying around as if they have the right to be there, it's disgusting. Madam Malkin gives no respect to those she aught. I will take him elsewhere for new robes, somewhere we are respected!" Walburga shrilly argued. "Twilfitt and Tattings is by far superior!"

Deciding he had pushed her enough he conceded "Fine! As long as he is suitably presented, on your head be it."

Having given up on learning anything interesting from his eavesdropping, the boy allowed his attention to be caught by the movement of the rose as it wafted by his window. He moved to stand on the sill and look out over the streets. Far below on the footpath that passed the house he watched a woman walking by, she was carrying a small child who was bundled up in an oddly designed puffy coat. The child looked up and seeing the boy staring, waved a hand in friendly greeting. Sirius half raised his in return a half smile on his lips. On the other side of the road a man in dark robes approached, the sneer on his face clearly visible even at the distance.

"Filthy mudblood scum, everywhere these days." The harsh words flew on the breeze and were faintly heard by the boy above.

Sirius gasped as the man drew a thin rod from out of his sleeve and a sudden flash of light beamed towards the child. A dustbin lid flew up in front of the walkers and blocked the curse. The mother and child scurried away quickly disappearing down a side street.

As they disappear from view Sirius wondered 'Why would he curse her? She looks just the same as anybody else.'

 **Remus**

To the North of London, and on the outskirts of a small village where the cobblestone streets gave way to dusty country lanes. Another boy was finishing his day as the flower spun overhead.

Lyall Lupin sat with his son, Remus, on the patio watching as the sun dipped behind the trees, listening to the robins singing. The sandy-haired boy leaned against his father's side and watched the bloom as it drifted by entranced for a moment by its beauty.

"How about a game of gobstones Remus?" Lyall interrupted his son's staring as he stood holding out his hand in a silent offer to pull his son to his feet.

"Sure," Remus grinned cheekily as he took the proffered hand and tugged it sharply downward in a vain attempt to wrestle against his father and pull him back down by his side. Unsurprisingly Lyall won the impromptu game of tug-o-war easily and the pair retreated into the warmth of the kitchen.

Remus made to grab an apple from the fruit bowl on his way past, but his Mother gently smacked his hand away. "It won't be long until tea, you'll spoil your appetite," she chided with a soft smile.

His father had snuck up behind the boy as he was distracted with his mother and scooped Remus up, turned him around and threw him over his shoulder. The boy laughed hysterically as he tried to wiggle free, wildly kicking his legs while his father's hands tickled his sides.

"Come on you rascally pup, we have just enough time for a game first."

"And a bath! You boys are filthy from being outside," Hope added swatting her son's backside.

"Yes dear," Lyall agreed amicably, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek and being mindful of the boy's feet. He continued into the snug still carrying the boy, who had now started to swat his father's back as low down as his short arms could reach. "Down you go son," Lyall ignored the hits (pats) to his back as he carefully lowered the boy onto the couch. He sat himself down on the chair opposite, then reached over and pulled a small table between them. The pair settled in for the 'Great Lupin Gobstones Championship'.

Sometime later Hope called out from the kitchen "Teatime!" distracting the players and causing Remus to bump the wrong piece, with a squirt it expelled its contents into the blonde's face.

"Argh! Thanks Mum!" he grimaced, wiping his face vigorously trying in vain attempt to clear the smelly liquid.

"Now you definitely need to get cleaned up!" Lyall shooed the boy up the stairs with a grin.

Hope looked over as Lyall entered the kitchen. "Who won?"

"It was tied until you called, and then someone got distracted," he grinned with giving a nod the direction of the bathroom as he washed his hands in the sink. "I've been called to do some work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so I'll have to commute to London for a few weeks."

Hope sighed, "Would it be better for you to stay there instead of coming home every night?"

"No I'll just get us connected to the floo."

"Through the fire?" she confirmed, he nodded as he set the cutlery on the table. "Remus tea is on the table," she called.

Later that evening Remus' parents tucked him into his bed and kissed him goodnight. On the edge of sleep the sandy haired-boy stirred and as he did the catch on the window lifted with a slight creak and the window opened an inch to admit the twilight breeze to the room.

 **James**

Out in the West of England where they had lived for a multitude of generations, on a property rumoured to have been part Iolanthe Potter's (nee Peverell) dowry, the Potters made their home. The garden opened onto the fields beyond, which were bordered on all sides by a low stone fence, on the other side of which a couple of horses had been put to pasture.

The family was old and the land far older still and through the many centuries together they had developed an…. understanding. It might have been that somehow the magic used by the family had seeped into the stones or maybe the land had an awareness and called the family to it or maybe it had something to do with that old cloak. Or it might be none of these things, however at times it seemed that the land was alive. Whenever Fleamont was stuck on his potions research, he would go and sit on the stone wall, and listen. Somewhere in the whispering breezes or maybe it was the buzzing of the bees he would find an answer. So it had always been for the head of the Potter's.

The breeze guided the flower over the land and at last the bloom drifted lower, over a field where a small family was ending their day. The couple was older than might have been expected to have a son the boys age. The father's salt and pepper hair was unruly and the mother's once auburn hair was graced with grey.

"James," Euphemia called her voice almost musical. "It's time for us to go inside!"

"Just 5 more minutes Mum. We haven't been outside that long," their son whined, his black hair as unruly as his Father's. He had been spoilt...almost to ruin, not quite…. yet... and it still remained to be seen what would come of it.

Spying the rose out of the corner of his eye, he ignored his mother and jumped onto his broomstick to fly and pluck it from the air with unerring aim, ending its journey. As his hand closed around it a shock of tingles spread through his fingers, hand and up his arm. With a sliding feeling like a sigh it turned to the clearest crystal. He flew down to land beside his parents, still ignoring them in order to continue staring at the bloom held tightly in his grasp.

Finally giving up on her lecture his mother noticed he was holding something "What have you got there?" she asked.

"A rose." He knew there was something about this flower, something indescribable and the feeling was filling him up, like the bubbles he had once seen in a glass of champagne his mother had had at a New Years Eve party. "It… it's special," was all he could think of to say as he passed it to her proudly.

Taking it from him with great care she could feel his magic thrumming through it. Pleased beyond belief at his achievement she hugged him tight to her chest. "Oh James, your first magic! I am so proud. Monty look at this!"

They took the rose and placed it reverentially on the mantelpiece, where it would remain for over a decade.

 **Hogwarts**

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a small locked tower in a forgotten room, unknown to the students and rarely visited by the Deputy Headmistress, on an old wooden desk sat a book bound in the blackest dragon hide. The Quill of Acceptance rose and dipped gently into the empty inkwell. After a brief moment the cover of the book that lay on the table beside it flipped open and the parchment pages fluttered in a non-existent breeze before settling to allow the quill to inscribe 6 new names into the Book of Admittance's yellowing pages…

Lily Evans,

Severus Snape,

Peter Pettigrew,

Sirius Black,

Remus Lupin,

James Potter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Anything in bold is a direct quote from JK Rowlings work.

Obviously, I am not JK Rowling and am making no money from this.

I have assumed, given Harry's letter arrived about a week before his Birthday that everyone's got sent out at this same time.

 **Prelude II.**

 **The Tragedy of Remus Lupin.**

 **By the time that Remus was four years old, the amount of Dark magical activity across the country was increasing steadily. While few yet knew what lay behind the mounting attacks and sightings, Lord Voldemort's first ascent to power was in progress and Death Eaters were recruiting all kinds of Dark creatures to join them in their quest to overthrow the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry called in the services of authorities on Dark creatures – even those as minor as Boggarts and poltergeists – to help it understand and contain the threat. Lyall Lupin was among those asked to join the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which he did gladly. It was here that Lyall came face-to-face with a werewolf called Fenrir Greyback, who had been brought in for questioning about the death of two Muggle children.**

 **The Werewolf Registry was badly maintained. Werewolves were so shunned by wizarding society that they generally avoided contact with other people; they lived in self-described 'packs' and did all they could to avoid being registered. Greyback, whom the Ministry did not know to be a werewolf, claimed to be nothing more than a Muggle tramp who was utterly amazed at finding himself in a room full of wizards, and horrified by the talk about the poor, dead children. Greyback's filthy clothing and lack of wand were sufficient to persuade two overworked and ignorant members of the questioning committee that he was telling the truth, but Lyall Lupin was not so easily fooled. He recognised certain telltale signs in Greyback's appearance and behaviour and told the committee that Greyback ought to be kept in detention until the next full moon, a mere twenty-four hours later. Greyback sat in silence while Lyall was laughed at by his fellow committee members ('Lyall, you just stick to Welsh Boggarts, that's what you're good at'). Lyall, generally a mild-mannered man, grew angry. He described werewolves as 'soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death'. The committee ordered Lyall out of the room, the head of the committee apologised to the Muggle tramp and Greyback was released.**

 **The wizard who escorted Greyback out of the inquiry was intending to place a Memory Charm upon him, so that he would forget having been inside the Ministry. Before he had a chance to do so, he was overpowered by Greyback and two accomplices who had been lurking at the entrance, and the three werewolves fled.**

 **Greyback lost no time in sharing with his friends how Lyall Lupin had just described them. Their revenge on the wizard who thought that werewolves deserved nothing but death would be swift and terrible.**

After having been evicted from the meeting a distraught Lyall hurried home to warn his wife of what had occurred and his fear of retribution.

As Fenrir Greyback slunk across the forest floor, he focused on the cottage that was his destination. It had taken a little over a week to discover where the Lupin's lived and another to make his way to his present location, just in time for the night's full moon. The only thing on his mind was vengeance. Nobody would insult him again, it would be a warning to all. The little upstart from the ministry Lyall Lupin would pay! As he looked across the stone fence at the cottage he spied a window ajar and laughed to himself, in disbelief at his good fortune. In less than a minute he was over the fence, standing up against the wall and ready to begin climbing the trellis. At the top of the ascent Fenrir paused with fingers hooked over the window ledge, before he hauled himself up and silently forced the shutters fully open. Peering into the dark interior of the room he saw a small boy asleep on the bed the gentle huffs of his breath audible in the silent night - what better way to make the man pay then to harm the boy he thought. As he stepped into the room the old boards groaned under his feet; the low-pitched noise disturbed the occupants in the room below.

"What was that?" Hope Lupin's voice was sharp and full of fear as she recalled her husband's warning.

"Stay here," Lyall whispered urgently as he stood from his seat. A deep fear gripped him, his muggle wife had no defence against anything from his world and his son was upstairs alone.

His feet pounded on the stairs, a rhythmic counterpoint to the sharp screams that began to echo through the house and filled his veins with adrenaline. Remus!

Pushing open the door, after what had felt like an eternity, his horrified gaze fell on the form of a beast bent over his precious boy. Disturbed in its attack the animal paused and golden eyes met Lyall's own. Without hesitation the man drew his wand and began to cast. The werewolf was thrown across the room as beam after beam of blue light broke the darkness of the room in a flickering strobe. Finally, a curse struck true and with a thud, the beast hit the wall. With a grunt the monster turned and leapt out of the window, fleeing across the countryside, his vengeance complete.

Back in the little room Lyall, now a broken man, sobbed as he tore the bedsheets into strips and wrapped his son's wounds as gently as he was able, whispering calming words to the terrified boy.

"Daddy's here, daddy's here," Lyall scooped the boy up in his arms, blood dripping through the makeshift bandages and falling in droplets onto the stairs as he hurried to the floo. Silver tears streaked his cheeks as the fireplace burned green and they twisted out of sight. The dreams Lyall had held for Remus' future disappeared up the chimney with the smoke.

Before the attack the Lupins had lived on the edge of a small wizarding- muggle village, however it wasn't long afterwards that Remus' illness every full moon was noticed by half the population and the family moved for fear of their son being victimised. As Remus grew older they retreated into the muggle world so that he could attend school. His monthly lack of attendance was questioned regularly, there was only so long the Lupins could pass him off as being a poorly child before the enquires started and they needed to move again. In the end Lyall and Hope decided it would be best if Remus was schooled at home.

The family then moved to the outskirts of a wizarding village and Remus would play with the local children in the afternoons. However, it was only a matter of months before his playmates and their parents noticed his monthly pallor and odd behaviour around the full moon. He was teased and taunted for being sickly and poor. Finally, the dreaded words "I know what you are!" were yelled across the green, and the family moved again, settling in a small cottage, five miles from the nearest village. Remus was no longer allowed to play with other children (not that there were any close by), so books became the only refuge in his lonely childhood as he sought escape from his affliction. He read widely with his Father, both seeking a cure for his Lycanthropy.

Several years later, early one morning in February, a man approached the run-down cottage; this man had a grey beard long enough to tuck into the belt which secured his azure robes and, blue eyes that twinkled brightly. He stopped to listen to the noises emanating from inside the dwelling for a second before knocking on the door. It was Hope who opened the door.

"May I help you?" she asked quietly before she recognised the man for what he was, (when would wizards develop such a strange sense of fashion) and gave a squeak of surprise, drawing her husband to the door.

Lyall emerged from the doorway protectively tucking his wife behind him, his eyes widened as he identified the man "Oh no, no you may not come in," he whispered, as he stepped backwards into the house and attempted to push door closed and shut the man and all he stood for out.

"I have come to talk to you about Remus attending Hogwarts," the old man said smiling genially with a foot wedged in the gap (it was fortunate that he had chosen to wear boots), in the doorway holding it open.

"Oh, we know that it is not possible for our Remus to go Dumbledore," Lyall shook his head sadly as he allowed the door to open a little wider. "There is no need to build up Remus' hopes only to have them shattered by the Boards refusal. The Governors' policies on such things are well known."

Lyall wondered why the man had even bothered to come, really what was the point? Dumbledore wasn't the type to rub salt into the wound of disappointment.

Remus peered around the corner from the kitchen looking up at the tall man that he could just make out through the six-inch gap in the door, as he did his green eyes met with the ancient blue ones of the Headmaster. It was a gaze which inspired trust and drew the boy out of his corner, the boy took half a step forward.

"Now, don't be so hasty," Dumbledore smiled, eyes still on Remus. "I believe there are options available. Would it be alright if I came in?"

Lyall and Hope shared a glance and with a tip of her head Hope indicated her acquiescence thus giving the man a chance to speak, after all if the answer was no, Remus was no worse off and why would he have bothered to come all this way just to tell them something that they already knew. Stepping aside Lyall opened the door fully and allowed the old man into their home.

"Ah, I see you play gobstones Remus. Would you care for a game?" asked Dumbledore smiling gently.

"Ok," was the shy response.

As they played Albus Dumbledore outlined the plans they would put in place to allow Remus to attend school. He believed no child of magic should go without the opportunity to learn but that it would be best if Remus's condition was kept secret. Albus would arrange a secure house to which Remus could be removed each full moon for his transformations, only accessed via a secret passage with a protected entrance. Medical staff would be available to oversee his recovery. As the end of their game neared Remus smiled and felt optimism bubbling within him for the first time. At Hogwarts, he would no longer be alone, he would have friends; he would leave the stigma of his illness behind.

 **Sirius Black**

12 Grimmauld place was always a hive of activity. The Blacks who resided within its dreary walls were one of the premier Wizarding families and as such were often invited to society functions and the head of the house, Orion, was often sought after for his opinion by the businessmen of the wizarding world. An endorsement from the Orion Black was as good as Galleons in the vault, or so they said.

This branch of the Black family had two sons, Sirius and Regulus. Sirius was a bright boy who from a very early age always knew that he was special. His grey eyes were alight with curiosity and he ALWAYS wanted to know why. He questioned everything, every rule and every tradition that was imposed upon him. Unfortunately, as the eldest son of one of the sacred 28 families his life was full of rules and traditions.

His apparent disregard for the tenants of Pureblood life often lead to him being punished in an attempt to ameliorate his questioning nature. When he was young the punishments had been variations of being sent to bed without any supper or being made to stand in the corner but as Sirius grew older, and the apparent disparity between the heir and his more complaint younger brother grew, the punishments became more severe.

"You shall conduct yourself at all times as a gentleman."

"Why? I am only 9, I want to play," the dark-haired boy whined.

"There is no time for play and don't speak out of turn, you will write out, 'Gentlemen don't play' one hundred times and hand it to me before supper, or you will have nothing to eat until tomorrow."

As the years passed, Walburga and Orion Black began to favour their younger son Regulus who was a more dutiful, sombre child and readily accepted the rules and the traditions of the household. The older boy began testing the rules and became bent on mischief to gain the attention that was freely lavished on his brother.

The week his letter came announcing his place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with it came another slew of rules and expectations.

"You shall be in Slytherin!"

"But I don't get a choice, I could be Hufflepuff," he turned wide silver eyes on his father. "The yellow would suit me better!"

"Don't even joke about that Sirius!" Orion snapped. "If you are in Hufflepuff you will not see the outside of that broom cupboard for a week! Worse if, Merlin forbid, you are sorted into Gryffindor, we will bring out the switch! No son of mine shall wear red. You are better than that! You are a Black, and Black's belong in Slytherin." Orion slammed his hand down on his desk with a loud bang.

Sirius couldn't help the "Why?" which fell from his lips.

"Because we always have been, and that is the way it is! Now go and read the History of the Noble House of Black and write a thousand words on the meaning of Tourjours Pur and if it isn't good enough then you will be polishing the silverware like a house elf!

The noose of rules tightened ever closer around Sirius' chest until he couldn't breathe, and his heart clamoured to escape from his chest. He longed for the escape that Hogwarts would bring. Maybe, just maybe he could escape from the rules that bound him.

 **Peter Pettigrew**

For a time following her Husband's death Enjela Pettigrew withdrew from life in sorrow. This left her son largely unsupervised, though confined to the house and protected. It was a very sheltered upbringing. After his Father's attack, Peter, who had always been on the small side, began to fear dark places- who knew what could be hiding in the shadows, and because he was kept at home he became shy of strangers.

Years later, when Enjela emerged from her depression, she began to worry that Peter had not yet experienced any of the magical mishaps that other children typically did. She began to wonder if his father's death had restricted or damaged his abilities or maybe she had failed to encourage their growth. Perhaps he needed to see more than the inside of their house to allow his magic to flourish. Guided by these worries she began to let him wander the neighbourhood and mix with the neighbourhood children.

"Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater," the children jeered as they teased the boy.

Over the course of the few weeks he had been wandering the streets the other children had taken to ridiculing and bullying the plump boy.

"Stop it," he cried.

"What will you do, if we stop it?" sneered the biggest.

"Anything!" Peter exclaimed.

"Anything at all?" the boy's eyes lit maliciously.

"Yes anything," he readily agreed.

"Well I think we might be able to do something with that," the bully grinned then called to the others. "Let him be, he's mine."

"Aaaw," the others cried disappointed that their fun had been spoilt.

Peter made himself useful to the bully, he brought him food, ran messages, provided alibis and in return was protected by the larger boy.

When the owl from Hogwarts finally arrived carrying Peter's letter of offer, Mrs Pettigrew breathed a sigh of relief. Now secure that his journey into magic had begun his mother showed Peter her late husband's library of magic books. She hadn't looked through it herself, but surely there couldn't be much in there that wasn't appropriate, her husband had been an auror after all. In later years she would wonder if this had been a wise decision.

There were many nights in those last weeks that Peter lost sleep worrying over whether he would be bullied again at Hogwarts. The night before he left, he came to the realisation that all he needed to do was make friends! And he already knew how to do that didn't he? He just needed to make himself useful!

 **James Potter**

Fleamont and Euphemia Potter met working at St Mungo's. She was a Healer and he an alchemist and potioneer. Their's was not a whirlwind romance but a friendship that grew and flowered into love. It was about 10 years after they had graduated from Hogwarts that Fleamont proposed to Euphemia that she should become Mrs Potter, an offer she had accepted on the spot.

Fleamont spent the early years of their marriage working hard at St Mungo's, until he was inspired by his wife to create a potion to control unmanageable hair, in the hopes that it would help with his own wild mane. And so Sleekeazy's Hair Potion was born and increased the family's fortune exponentially. The pair had dreamed of filling their lives and house with the voices of children, but over the years it became clear that this development was not going to happen spontaneously so together they went to a specialist Healer and discovered that Euphemia was barren. That night they returned home, and Euphemia locked herself in their room and cried never ending tears until morning.

Fleamont could not bear to stand by and do nothing as his wife descended into depression, so he retired from his work at the hospital in order to devote time to researching potions that might assist all witches with the same dilemma. There were various potions he tried on his beloved wife, and while they produced some positive effects, the healers still gave the same result. Fleamont ceased asking his wife to trial the potions after the third attempt, unable to watch her eyes deaden anymore with each failure. Because of this it was a great surprise when Euphemia approached him one day with the news that they were going to have a child.

Nine months later the cry of a babe was heard in the Potter's Manor house. Their son James was adored by both his parents. His every wish was met, and his every whim catered to. While spoiled he was in the main a happy, mischievous little boy, although lonely at times and so more than most boys he enjoyed those events such as balls and family celebrations where he got to interact with other children.

Christmas' were spent with his Aunt and Uncle, Charlus and Dorea, and their son Justin who was just two years older than James. When the boys got together the potential for accidental catastrophe was limitless. The pair couldn't wait to go to school. Hogwarts wouldn't know what had hit it! Charlus and Dorea had different ideas, as Aurors they were like a weathervane for trouble in the Wizarding community, lately there had been disappearances and a rumour of an evil Wizard the like of which hadn't been seen since Gellert Grindelwald. They decided to send their son to Durmstrang rather than have him schooled at Hogwarts, to keep him safe. James pleaded with his parents to allow him to attend the same school; they resisted his pleas, thinking that the risk of a new evil wizard was slim and the potential for disaster when the two were together far too great. It was the first time in his life that he had been denied anything and he sulked for weeks after he received his letter.

 **Severus Snape**

With the first sign of Severus's magic, his mother began to regain some of her pride. Eileen started to stand up to Tobias and he resented this. Their arguments frequently shattered the peace of Spinners End. Tobias had always been a heavy drinker but as the years progressed it became worse. Both mother and son had learned to keep out of the way, escaping to the streets or to a hidden corner of the flat, whenever Tobias binged. Severus's favourite place was the attic, it was accessed by a rickety ladder which he drew into the room with him. Tucked safely away he could spend his time looking down on the world outside.

One winter's afternoon, when he was eight, Severus made the discovery of his life. He had retreated to the attic, to avoid his father as he demolished the inside of the house in a drunken rage. A shaft of light illuminated the dust motes as they floated through the air and following their zig zagging path his gaze fell on a misshapen pile at the end of the room that he had always assumed was rubbish. Walking over to it he saw it was actually a jumble of boxes. Rubbing the dust from the label of one he read 'Severus Prince', they must have once belonged to his grandfather. How his mother had gotten hold of them after having been disowned was a mystery.

Pausing for a moment to listen to the noises that continued below Severus guessed it would be at least an hour till his father drank himself into insensibility so, he gave in to the temptation to look inside. Every box contained books, the words danced on the pages and he understood these were words of power; he marvelled at them and began to read a grimoire on curses. The books in the attic would provide hours of education for a young Severus and by the time he entered school he would know more curses than all of the seventh years put together.

By the time he had read two chapters (not that he understood much of them) silence had fallen over the house and he knew his father would now be asleep. He glanced out the window to see 2 girls walking down the street. The younger had the most captivating red hair and just looking at her he felt like he was watching the sun. With a sigh he turned from the window and made his way back downstairs, someone was going to have to fix the mess his father was sure to have made.

Another morning dawned and with it, Tobias started drinking again. This time Severus escaped the house and saw the two girls again. He had been observing them for a while now when he wandered from home as they often walked up the street in front of his house. Severus followed the girls to the playground and watched, hidden sight, as they played happily together on the swings competing to see who could go highest, the younger sister swinging higher and higher than her sister.

 **"Lily, don't do it!" shrieked the elder of the two.**

 **But the girl had let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flown into the air, quite literally flown, launched herself skywards with a great shout of laughter and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly. I** t was a game she often played, in those moments of weightlessness with the wind rushing through her hair she almost believed she could fly!

 **"Mummy told you not to!"**

 **Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground making a crunching, grinding sound, and then leapt up, hands on hips.**

 **"Mummy said you weren't allowed Lily!"**

 **"But I am fine," said Lily, still giggling. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do."**

 **Petunia glanced around. The playground was deserted apart from themselves and though the girls didn't know it, Severus. Lily had picked a fallen flower from the bush behind which Severus lurked. Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was near enough to have a clear view, and then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many lipped oyster.**

 **"Stop it!" shrieked Petunia.** She drew away from Lily her eyes wide with fear.

 **"It's not hurting you," said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back on the ground.**

 **"It's not right," said Petunia, but her eyes had followed the flowers flight to the ground and lingered upon it. "How do you do it?" She added and there was definite longing in her voice.**

 **"It's obvious, isn't it?" Severus could no longer contain himself, but jumped out from behind the bushes.**

 **Petunia shrieked and ran backwards towards the swings, but Lily though clearly startled, remained where she was. Severus seemed to regret his appearance. A dull flush of colour mounted the sallow cheeks as he looked at Lily.**

 **"What's obvious?" asked Lily.**

 **Severus had an air of nervous excitement. With a glance at the distant Petunia, now hovering beside the swings, he lowered his voice and said "I know what you are."**

 **"What do you mean?"**

 **"You're….. you're a witch," whispered Severus.**

 **She looked affronted.**

 **"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"**

 **She turned her nose in the air, and marched off towards her sister.**

 **"No!" said Severus, he was highly coloured now. His ridiculous large coat flapped as he ran after the girls looking ludicrously bat-like.**

 **The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding onto one of the swing poles as though it was the safe place in tag.**

 **"You are," said Severus to Lily. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there is nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard."**

 **Petunia's laugh was like cold water.**

 **"Wizard!" she shrieked, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You are that Snape boy! They live down at Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she considered the address a poor recommendation. "Why have you been spying on us?"**

 **"Haven't been spying," said Severus, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway," he added spitefully, "you're a Muggle."**

 **Though Petunia evidently did not understand the word, she could hardly mistake the tone.**

 **"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she said shrilly. Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at Severus as she left. He stood watching them as they marched through the playground gate.**

Like a moth to a flame Severus felt drawn to Lily, he would seek her out and speak to her again, maybe without her sister there. He sighed and decided to head home, his father should have finished venting by now and if he wasn't in by dark he would get a thrashing. He counted down the years until he would receive his letter to Hogwarts and his ticket out of the depressing life at Spinners End.

 **Lily**

Lily and Petunia had once been as close as siblings could ever be.

Rumble- crack.

A thunderstorm broke overhead. Petunia snuggled down into the warmth of her blankets, she knew it wouldn't be long.

Rumble the thunder sounded again.

"Tuney?" the little voice called as her sister crept into the room. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah. Did the storm wake you?"

"I don't like the loud noise," Lily whispered.

"Me either. Want to come in with me?" light footsteps sounded on the floorboards and then a cold figure slid between the sheets.

"Look at me Lily!" Tuney called turning upside down on the monkey bars.

"Show me how? Show me how? Tuney Please!" Lily begged.

Petunia jumped down and helped her sister onto the bars, supporting her as she swung her legs up and looped them over a bar and released her hands for just a moment, then held her securely while she dismounted.

"Thanks, Tuney, you're the best!" Lily couldn't stop smiling.

"Girls you need to weed the garden." Lily and Petunia pulled faces at each other across the table each trying hard not to be the first to giggle, appearing to ignore their Mother.

"Girls! Were you even listening!"

"Yes Mum," Petunia responded maintaining a straight face as her little sister gave in and began to laugh.

"Garden! Weeds! Now!"

"Yes Mum," the older girl sighed. "Come on Lily."

"Let's play a game Tuney," Lily turned an adoring face to her sister.

"What game do you want to play?"

"Who can pull out the most weeds in an hour!"

Petunia laughed. She laughed even louder later when Lily won.

A boy stuck out his foot as the tall horse faced girl walked by, she tripped and fell onto her hands and knees.

"You leave her alone!" a small ball of red-haired fury appeared out of nowhere. The boy stepped back involuntarily.

"Why should I?" he grinned wickedly after sizing her up "I'm bigger than you."

"Bet I hit harder!" said she, balling her fist and cocking back her arm as her father had taught her, before releasing and hitting the boy in the stomach, she then stomped on his foot. He bent over with tears in his eyes as she turned to her sister.

"You ok?"

"Better now thanks Lily,"

"That's what sisters are for!"

They linked arms and left the boy behind without a backwards glance.

However, after the fateful meeting with Severus in the park things began to change.

"Lily!" Petunia called as she ran up the stairs and burst into her sister's room. "Lily!"

"Mmm," Lily turned her head from where she had been looking out of the window.

"Lily, I have been calling you forever. Come to the park with me?" Petunia pouted.

Lily ducked her head "Oh, I thought I might go for a walk by the river."

Through the window Petunia caught sight of a boy standing by their gate, he had a mop of dark hair, she grunted "You're going to play with that _Snape_ ," she spat his name. "Lily he comes from Spinner's end! Only rotten, awful, horrible people come from there, he'll hurt you!"

"Sev isn't awful, or rotten, or horrible Tuney," Lily sighed.

"He can't even dress nice!"

"They don't have any money, he has to wear hand-me-downs there's nothing wrong with that."

"Come play with me! Don't go with him please," her sister's voice took on a wheedling tone.

"Oh alright, but he comes with us."

"No!" Petunia snapped out the word.

"Fine," huffed Lily giving in, "I'll go and tell him I can't come today, but I'll play with him tomorrow."

Petunia smiled in victory as Lily walked down the stairs.

Despite being turned away Severus couldn't help but return to Lily. "Lily!" the voice called up to her window.

Lily stuck her head through the opening, seeing the boy standing there. "Sev, I'll be right down." She ran down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Petunia asked as she stuck her head around the corner from the kitchen.

"Out to talk to Sev."

"No, you are supposed to stay in and help me today!"

"I did that yesterday," argued Lily.

Petunia grabbed her arm and hissed "I don't like it when you go with him Lily, he's bad news."

"He's _my_ friend," Lily defended "and I'm going!" for the first time Lily turned on her heel and walked out the door.

Severus was now waiting on the veranda, his face and neck red.

"Oh, you heard that!" Lily blushed.

"Yeah," he agreed sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get you into trouble. You don't have to come."

"I want to," replied Lily "I helped Tuney yesterday and stayed home to hang out with her the day before that and all she wanted to do was watch telly!"

"What's telly?"

"You don't know?" Lily was surprised, she knew his father was a muggle. Severus shrugged, there were many things that they didn't have the money to buy.

Lily didn't want to embarrass the boy, so she explained "Oh it's a box that shows moving pictures. Sometimes they show a story, or sometimes they show the news."

"The news like the paper?"

"Mmmhmm," she nodded, "but someone reads it out, with pictures and things."

"Huh."

"Where shall we go?"

"Let's head up to the old mill."

The pair grinned as they began to run down the street.

Petunia had begun to notice how different Lily was. She noticed when Lily had only to rub a hand over her washing as she folded it for all the creases to disappear, and when the colour of the ribbon in Lily's hair changed to match the dress she was wearing. She assumed that her talents made Lily's life easier and deemed it unfair, unnatural and freakish. All these things happened away from their parent's gaze, so they were blissfully unaware of their youngest daughter's skills, or the reason behind the burgeoning rift between the girls.

The girls attended the local school with Petunia being 2 classes ahead of Lily. Lily was teased incessantly at school for her red-hair and emerald eyes. Petunia saw being popular as a way to counteract Lily's talents and did nothing to discourage it, at times she even joined in calling out "Carrot top!" A naturally shy girl Lily gradually became even more inhibited as the years passed. Her only friend was Severus. He assured her she only had to wait for her letter to Hogwarts and then it would all get better. She knew he was looking forward to escaping from his father.

The days rolled into one another and she could often be found sitting alone in the school yard, tears in her eyes as she kicked her feet in the dust.

Sitting under a tree in the playground one bright summer's day Lily heard "Hey did you want to play?"

Lily looked up to see a girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes staring at her. "You don't want to play with me, I'm the freak," she mumbled again bending her head.

"I think I can decide that for myself and if you are then I must be too," came the reply.

"I'm Katherine, Katherine Banks by the way," and hand was thrust in front of Lily's downcast face.

"Lily, Lily Evans," Lily took the hand and shook it on pure reflex.

The girls smiled at each other and a friendship blossomed. They were soon inseparable in the schoolyard, Lily wore a smile that lit her eyes and her confidence grew.

It was the last week of July, in the year that Lily turned 11 and Severus had promised her that the letter would arrive by no later than the end of the month. The Evans family was sitting in the lounge watching television when they heard the mailman push something through the slot on the door followed by a gentle plop as the mail fell onto the mat.

"Will you go and get the mail Lil' Bear?"

"Sure Dad."

Lily walked to the door secretly hoping that today was the day. That there was a special school where she could go to learn magic just seemed too good to be true. Walking into the hall she saw a solitary letter sitting on the doormat, the emerald green ink on its front read;

 _Lily Evans_

 _The Lavender Room_

 _Number 8 Hedge Row_

 _Cokeworth._

There was no stamp on the envelope. Retrieving the letter Lily wandered back to the lounge room.

"It's for me," she said as she re-entered the lounge room, she flipped the envelope over and inserted her nail under the ruby red wax seal. The stamp that had been pressed into the wax was so beautiful she didn't want to break it. The eagle, badger, snake and lion were breathtakingly realistic. Her heart fluttered. This was it! She read the letter quietly a smile playing on her lips.

"Who would be writing to you?" her Father murmured reaching out a hand to take the letter. Lily passed it to him willingly as he asked to see it. His eyes widened as he read.

 ** _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_**

 ** _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_**

 ** _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Internal Confed. of Wizards)_**

 ** _Dear Miss Evans,_**

 ** _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._**

 ** _Term begins on 1 September. I will attend your house at 6pm on Thursday the 29th of July to discuss your commencement with your parents._**

 ** _Yours sincerely,_**

 ** _Minerva McGonagall_**

 ** _Deputy Headmistress._**

He looked over at his wife. "It says she's a witch."

"Our Lily?" she scoffed "That's not a very nice thing to say!" She inadvertently mirrored her daughters' own words.

"It's a hoax," piped up Petunia from her seat on the couch. "That Severus boy has done it, he is always making stuff like that up, always lying."

"He is not! He doesn't lie!" Lily defended, and the two girls descended into a row.

"Enough!" growled Mr Evans in a tone which instantly silenced the girls. "Well if it is not a joke we will find out Thursday won't we." Deeming the matter resolved he turned back to the news.

Three days later there was a firm knock on the door. Mr Evans looked up from reading the Daily News and went to answer. At the door an elegant black-haired lady in a long green cloak waited.

"I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; I have come to discuss your daughter Lily," she introduced herself with a Scottish burr.

There was silence for a moment.

"Yes, well you'd better come in I suppose, though I think you may have the wrong house," Mr Evans invited. "We have a visitor Dear, how about some tea?" he called to his wife as he showed Professor McGonagall to the lounge room and went to fetch his youngest from the back yard.

It didn't take long for the kettle to boil and Mrs Evans to return from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea. As the tea was poured the Professor looked inquiringly at Lily peering over the top of her glasses at the girls.

"Have you received your letter?" the Professor asked.

"Yes, Ma'am it arrived Monday."

The lady gave a sharp nod. "You may call me Professor or Professor McGonagall, dear," she said in a not unkindly manner. "Now Mrs Evans have you ever noticed your daughter do anything unusual when stressed or upset?"

"Not that I have noticed," Mrs Evans said after thinking a moment.

"Mr Evans?" McGonagall redirected the question.

"Well not when she was upset, but once when she was very small she picked a rose. As she held it in her hand all the colour drained from it. Once it was pure white from petal to stem, she threw it into the air and it just….drifted away, like a helium filled balloon even though there was no breeze. I always thought it was a little…..odd," clearly the memory still troubled him.

"Anything else?"

"I can make flowers open and close their petals, and when the leaves have fallen in the autumn I can make them fly and I can jump from the swing and nearly fly!" interrupted Lily wriggling excitedly on the couch.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. Lily looked into her parent's stunned faces.

"Sev told me I was a witch a little while ago, but I was afraid he was tricking me. I thought you would be upset if you knew," worry etched her face. "I can show you!" she asserted.

Without waiting for a response Lily ran outside to find a blossom fallen from the tree. When she returned she laid the flower on her hand and made the petals flutter in the still room. Then the bloom rose from her hand and drifted over to land in her mother's lap.

"Playing with flowers is what I do best," Lily said proudly as she looked up at McGonagall's surprised expression.

"A witch! A witch in the family! Oh, my Lily, How exciting!" exclaimed Mrs Evans.

Before she departed Professor, McGonagall arranged to meet the family at the Leaky Cauldron so they could go to Diagon Alley to purchase Lily's school things. She also handed them a ticket for the train that would take her to school and explained how the family was to access the platform for the train.

"Just walk at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, make sure you are holding onto Lily otherwise you won't be able to pass through it. At the end of term, you'll have to wait on the platform on the muggle side for her to come to you."

Soon it would be time for her journey into the new world. Through all this Petunia watched, alone on the sidelines with a scowl upon her pretty face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Val- Thanks for the review. Hopefully the past/passed is mostly corrected now. I agree with regards to tense. I had written the first chapters in present tense and then decided I didn't like it and changed it, obviously a few slipped through the gaps (noticed I tend to swap into present tense when someone is _thinking_ ). I am working on the spelling (I really shoudn't edit or write at 3am!). As for the bit about Tobias, I will respectfully disagree (your suggested options have a significantly different meaning to what I had intended) but I have added some punctuation (I notice that also falls by the wayside at 3am!) and hope that has addressed the issue. I really appreciated your feedback, so thanks again :).

Diagon Alley

Please note anything in bold is a direct quote from JK Rowlings and as previously stated I am not her.

As the title suggests this chapter contains the obligatory shopping trip.

The Evans family made the long drive into the centre of London the following Wednesday, Petunia's complaining a constant murmur in the background ('Lily gets everything, it's too hot in the car, Lily gets everything, the car is cramped, Lily ALWAYS gets EVERYTHING') that provided a shrill counterpoint to the hum of the car's engine. Even before the inner streets of London came into view Lily had her nose pressed against the window in excitement, leaving a smudge on the glass, as she tried to spot the sign for the pub that was their destination.

"There it is, there it is!" She called as it came into sight, momentarily silencing her sister. The doubt that had crept in (encouraged greatly by her sister's disparaging words), following Professor McGonagall's visit vanished the instant she saw the dingy pub. Her father found a car park and reversed into the narrow space between two lorries, with great difficulty. Lily urged them all to hurry, pulling on her parent's hands as she tugged them up the street towards the Leaky Cauldron, with Petunia scuffing her feet as she followed them sullenly.

"Lil' Bear, are you sure it is here? I can't see it," her Father frowned as he surveyed the shop fronts searching for some sign that the pub truly existed.

"It's not here," Petunia stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. "We came all this way for nothing. The least you can do now is to take me to Harrods, I want to get…"

"It's right there," Lily's voice piercingly high pitched in excitement (it wasn't a squeal…truly it wasn't!) cut off her sister and she pointed at the sign. "Next to the record store, can't you see it? Between the bookstore and the record store!"

Lily was astonished, the sign, while old and worn was clearly visible as it swung in the breeze. How could they not see it? It was right there!

"No! It Isn't! Stop lying. I've had to put up with enough of this rot, let's go!" Petunia said petulantly.

As they passed the record store, Lily had to physically dragged her parents towards the pub. It wasn't until they were right on the stoop in front of the door that they suddenly gave a gasp and exclaimed, "Oh! It just sort of jumps right out at you doesn't it? Almost like it was hiding!"

"Maybe it was hiding, after all it's magic Mum! They wouldn't want any old muggle to be able to wander in!" Lily chortled, relieved that they had finally seen it and that she wouldn't have to go home in disappointment.

"So why can we see it now Cheeky Chops?" her Father reached down and messed up her hair.

Looking back at the disgruntled blonde standing behind them, who clearly couldn't see the building as she was looking up and down the street, Lily said "Mmm maybe because the Professor told you it was here, or maybe because I can see it and I showed it to you?" With that she pushed her father through the door and into the pub. Lily quickly grabbed hold of the protesting Petunia's hand, who let out a startled yelp as the building materialised in front of her, maintaining the firm grip she had on her mother as she stepped through the doorway.

"Well let's go in and find Professor McGonagall. What time were we meeting her?"

"Half past Mum. Come on, it's time now!"

Lily was beside herself with excitement as she herded (dragged) her family into the dark recess of the establishment. The room was lit by a dozen oil lamps that lined the walls set into cast iron sconces. Witches and wizards gathered around the little tables that filled the space, glasses filled with amber liquid set in front of them and the hubbub of voices filled the air.

As their eyes adjusted to the dim light they found Professor McGonagall, who was already seated with a family at a table in the middle of the room; the dark-haired witch looked up as they approached.

She half rose from her chair to greet them "Ah Mr and Mrs Evans, it is good to see you again. Good morning, Lily, Petunia."

Mr and Mrs Evans shook the Professor's hand motioning her to sit as they joined the group seated around the table. McGonagall explained that they were waiting for another family as she liked to take the "new arrivals", as she called the first year Muggleborns, round in small groups. It ensured the children would be able to find a familiar face when they arrived at school she said.

"This is Mr and Mrs McDonald and their daughter Mary," the other family was introduced.

As they waited the two girls looked at each other and smiled, both too shy to strike up a conversation. Perhaps five minutes later the door opened again, and a tall man was pulled into the room his son's hand on his elbow, spotting the Professor the pair moved towards the table and were introduced as Mr Perks and his son David.

"The first thing to know is that Witches and Wizards don't use the same currency as Muggles, so we will need to head down to Gringotts, to make an exchange and set up vaults," McGonagall stated as she stood and began to lead the group through the pub to the courtyard at the rear. Petunia didn't even try to control her eye-roll as she followed behind, of course these weirdos couldn't even use plain old pounds and pence like normal people.

Professor McGonagall stepped up to the head of the group, raised her wand and tapped a brick in the wall three times. **The brick she touched quivered- it wriggled – in the a middle small hole appeared – it grew wider – a second later they were facing a large archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.**

As the street was revealed McGonagall stepped to the side allowing them all to see and intoned in a somewhat grandiose fashion, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

She paused to allow them a moment to gawk before continuing. "You will buy all your school supplies here. I presume you all have your lists," she sternly glanced around at the group as if daring any of them to have forgotten, pockets were delved into as the lists were retrieved.

Lily looked down at hers and read:

 ** _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

 ** _Uniform_**

 ** _First year students will require:_**

 ** _Three sets of plain work robes (black)_**

 ** _One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_**

 ** _One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_**

 ** _One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_**

 ** _Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._**

 ** _Set Books_**

 ** _All students should have a copy of the each of the following :_**

 ** _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_**

 ** _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_**

 ** _Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_**

 ** _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_**

 ** _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_**

 ** _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_**

 ** _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_**

 ** _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection by Quentin Trimble_**

 ** _Other Equipment_**

 ** _1 wand_**

 ** _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_**

 ** _1 set glass or crystal phials_**

 ** _1 telescope_**

 ** _1 set brass scales_**

 ** _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat Or a toad._**

The group stared in wonder at the street in front of them. It was at this point they realised that they were truly entering another world. Their thoughts were interrupted by Professor McGonagall, "Well we had best be off."

They proceeded down the winding street, gawping at everything from the shoppers in their outlandish clothes, to the products on display in the shops.

"Look!" Mr Evans exclaimed as he pointed at a shop window. "They actually sell broomsticks….. for flying!"

A small boy who has his nose pressed to the window, overheard and turned to look at the a cheeky grin he said "Well what did you think they were for? Sweeping!" laughing he moved away to where a woman, clearly his mother, was waiting, leaving behind two hand shaped smears on the otherwise clear pane.

"Don't be rude James," they heard her scold as they continued up the street.

Professor McGonagall acknowledged the woman with a nod as they continued down the street. As the group approached the tall white building at the end of the street, Professor McGonagall turned to address them once more.

"This is Gringotts, it is the Wizarding worlds banking establishment. Don't be alarmed by the folk that you see inside, they are Goblins and are a valuable asset to our world. Our coinage consists of Galleons, which are gold, sickles which are silver and knuts which are bronze. There are 29 knuts to a sickle and 17 sickles to a Galleon."

She turned and led the group through the two sets of doors granting entry. Mr Evans did some quick maths- so that made it 493 knuts per Galleon- could they make it anymore awkward! Lily noticed words engraved on the second set of doors:

 ** _Enter, stranger, but take heed_**

 ** _Of what awaits the sin of greed_**

 ** _For those who take, but do not earn,_**

 ** _Must pay dearly in their turn,_**

 ** _So if you seek beneath our floors_**

 ** _A treasure that was never yours,_**

 ** _Thief, you have been warned, beware_**

 ** _Of finding more than treasure there._**

"Seems like they take theft very seriously," commented Mr Perks, as he paused to read the inscription as well.

"And rightly so," agreed Mr McDonald.

Once inside the building each family was directed to a counter where a Goblin waited. Each short being was standing on a stool so that his head was just visible over the top of the desk.

"Vault or Exchange?"

Mr Evans turned to the Professor running a hand over his neck in embarrassment, "Ah, um, that is to say, how much will we need for books and everything? And will Lily need any money while she's at school?"

"Well 30 Galleons should cover everything new, though robes, books and her trunk can be purchased second hand."

She smiled encouragingly noting their look of worry and then stepping closer she added in a much quieter tone, "if necessary the school has a fund for those who require assistance obtaining their supplies. I make the arrangements just let me know if it is needed. Once at school Lily won't need any money though she might like to buy refreshments on the train on the way to and from school, that will only cost a couple of sickles."

Mr Evans nodded his thanks and turned back to the Goblin to enquire "What's the exchange rate? That is how much muggle money equals 30 Galleons?"

"At the current rate that would be One Hundred and fifty pounds." As Professor McGonagall felt his relief she stepped away, leaving the family some privacy.

"And how many galleons are required to open an account?" Mr Evans asked with a little more confidence.

"To open a _vault_ requires a minimum deposit of five galleons or twenty-five pounds," the swarthy faced being replied.

Now smiling Mr Evans nodded his thanks and opened his wallet to withdraw the two hundred pounds they had saved. He passed the notes over the counter to the teller.

"Could we please open an account.." he shook his head, "Sorry a vault for our daughter with five galleons and have the rest as a mix of coins?"

Their details were taken by the gruff little man and they were told that on the next visit Lily would have to present and register her wand, for identification purposes. The Goblin left briefly to obtain the paperwork. While they waited for him to return Mr Evans turned and bent down to talk to Lily, looking her in the eye solemnly.

"We know it isn't much, but we wanted to put a little something away for you, you can take on the paper run in the summer and use that to add to it as you can. If you work hard by the time you graduate, you'll have a nice little nest egg sitting there."

"Thanks Dad, you didn't have to, just my school stuff….. twenty-five pounds is a lot of money, not to mention the extra….."

"The extra is just in case things cost a little more, or you want a couple of extra books or something. I know you worry sweetheart, but one day you'll get a job in this world and then you'll need an account, so it's best if we set it up now." With a smile he added "We won't have to feed you for the next nine months or so, so we'll save a little there."

Conversation ceased as the Goblin returned with a sheaf of forms. After the last parchment was signed he reached under the desk and extracted a key and pouch, admonishing Lily that anyone who was in possession of the key could access her vault, at least until she had registered her wand. With this final warning he finally relinquished his hold on the small bronze key to vault number 2094 and the rather heavy black velvet bag of coins. Their business with the Goblins complete the trio left Gringotts and waited on the side of the street with Professor McGonagall for the McDonalds and the Perks.

"Outerwear for witches and wizards is significantly different from the fashions you know so next we will head to the robe shop." Professor McGonagall said once the group was together again. "The shop we are heading to is Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, it is on the left-hand side of the street. They provide the school uniform as well as a variety of other robes, as their name suggests, for any occasion."

Lily, Mary and David's excitement grew as each new item was purchased; the quills were fascinating, the books astonishing (Lily bought several extras) and the trunks amazing! In the back corner of the shop Lily managed to find a 3-compartment trunk, second hand! It had been well cared for, belonging to an elderly witch who had used it to store books in, and it looked nearly new, with its wood freshly polished and cost the same as a brand new single compartment trunk. However, there was one item that the children desired above all others: a wand. The three youngest members of the party practically skipped out of Pottages, where they had purchased their cauldrons, finally, it was time!

McGonagall cleared her throat to get their attention, "Ahem." When they were all stationary and looking at her she continued a bemused smile, "Lastly, we shall head to Ollivander's, to purchase your wands."

Unable to hold still any longer the children let out excited cheers in response to the Professor's statement and they took off up the street to where they knew the narrow entrance to the shabby shop was. Barely noticing the single wand set on a worn cushion in the window David pushed past the others to open the door and hurry inside.

A tinkling bell rang in the depths of the shop to announce their arrival. The darkness of the interior caused the children to halt their charge, so they didn't trip. When their eyes had adjusted to the gloom they noticed, with disappointment, that the cheeky boy that had been looking at broomsticks was standing at the counter waving a wand vigorously, his mother had retreated to a spindly old chair in the corner. They would have to wait.

"No, I don't think so," the old man in front of him said, before snatching the wand away and passing another over the counter.

Lily looked around the tiny shop; every wall was covered in shelves, each of which was packed until bursting with thin narrow boxes. She ran her fingers lightly over the end of one to remove the dust, the writing on it was like a spider's web- Apple wood and unicorn tail, 8 ½ inches. Her gaze was drawn to another in a red box with gold edging- Maple wood and phoenix feather, 9 ¾ inches, then further down the row to a black box with worn corners- onyx and dragon heartstring, 10 ¼ inches. She was distracted as the boy gave an exuberant shout, his face now glowed in delight as red and gold sparks flew out of the tip of the wand he was holding.

"Yes! That's the one, mahogany and dragon heartstring eleven inches particularly good for transfiguration," declared the shop owner, with a pleased grin.

A wide smile still adorned the boy's face as the wand was packed back into its box and paid for. He departed the shop with his mother, his mouth moving a million miles an hour as he told her all about how he had found his wand, as if she hadn't been there. Turning away from them Lily continued to peruse the shelves as first Mary and then David were measured, and Mr Ollivander searched for their wands until at last it was her turn. She had been drawing nearer to a blue velvet lined box which seemed to almost hum her name, on impulse as Mr Ollivander turned to her and said, "And who might you be?" she grabbed it and stepped up to the counter.

"Lily Evans, and I…I…I think this might be my wand," she replied with stuttering shyly concerned she might be overstepping some boundary **.**

Mr Ollivander's **pale eyes shone like moons through the gloom of the shop** a smile twisting at his lips.

"Hmm, it's been calling you has it, well take it out and give it a wave," he nodded knowingly.

Gingerly Lily placed the box on the counter and opened the lid. As she carefully removed the wand from its packaging she felt a sudden warmth through her fingers and when she flicked the wand a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end.

"Yes indeed, the wand chooses the witch Miss Evans," he seemed delighted. "Or in this case the witch chooses the wand, it seems we can expect great things from you, maybe a career in wand law! Hmmm. Ten and three-quarter inches, willow and unicorn hair fabulous for charm work!" he positively beamed, seemingly just as delighted to have her choose her own wand as he had been to search for the others.

Lily paid 6 Galleons and 7 knuts for her wand and it took some persuading, by her mother with the support of Professor McGonagall, for her to allow it to be wrapped back in tissue paper and put away in its box, somehow holding it in her hand had made the whole experience much more real. She was a witch!

"Well, with that your school shopping is done. The only thing that remains is for me to see you on the first of September as you arrive at Hogwarts. I recommend that you at least peruse the first few chapters of your texts before then. Now we will head back to the Leaky Cauldron where I will leave you. You are of course free to spend the rest of the day shopping if you so choose," so saying the Professor lead them out of the shabby little shop and up the street.

It had been an awfully big adventure, and they were all tired, especially the adults, and the children were getting hungry, so they agreed that they should share a meal together before they left the alley.

However, as they passed Eeylop's Owl Emporium on their way back to the Leaky Cauldron Mr Perks stopped and asked if anyone minded if they took a quick look inside. The Perks and Mcdonalds entered the shop, however Petunia gave a squeal of apparent fright before the Evans' could enter and Mr and Mrs Evans paused to deal with her, while Lily followed the group. There were owls in cages in the shop's entry, their heads tucked down and eyes closed in slumber. Lily looked longingly at a beautiful snowy owl in a cage just inside the door. As it had its eyes open Lily took the chance to pet it. She stuck her finger into the cage and the owl bent to allow her to gently stroke the top of its head.

"She's a real beauty that one ain't she?" said the old lady who ran the shop "Only 5 Galleons."

"I.. I would love her, but I can't aff…" Lily replied blushing, as Petunia's grumbling reached an embarrassingly loud volume.

"Oh, that's alright love, save up. You never know she might wait for you," she turned away to attend to her other customers.

Lily looked back at the owl and again ran her fingers over the soft downy feathers on the owl's head.

"Would you wait for me?" the owl hooted softly in reply.

"She is beautiful Lily, let's see how much you have left," Mrs Evans opened the bag, there was 5 Gold and 2 bronze coins at the bottom. "Well we could do it love, but there would be no money for a cage, or food, or food for us before we head home, and nothing for you on the train either."

"I don't need anything for the train, I could take a packed lunch, and Owls surely hunt their own food…." Lily said thoughtfully.

A voice cut through the air "We are NOT taking that thing home!"

Petunia felt like she had been forgotten about all day, traipsing behind the group in and out of all the shops, in this medieval alley. She was tired, her feet were sore, and she was hungry. She had had enough of being neglected. It was time their parents stopped spoiling Lily! And she was going to let them know exactly how she felt about it.

"It's bad enough I have to live with someone like Lily in the house, but we are not having that bird as well. It is…unhygienic!" She stomped away from the shop.

Mrs Evans sighed and turned back to her youngest "Lily…." She didn't wish to give in to Petunia but knew that the only way to keep the peace between the two girls on the way home was for Petunia to be allowed to win this round, Lily had after all had a great many things purchased for her that day. Despite the fact that these things were necessary for her schooling and they would be shopping for Petunia's the next week.

"It's ok Mummy," Lily replied with a sad little smile. "We couldn't really afford all the other bits we would need anyway. Maybe if we go to the ice-cream parlour we saw near the Leaky Cauldron it would make Tuney feel better?"

"You're such a good girl Lily, thank you for understanding," Mrs Evans wrapped her arm around Lily and drawing her into a half hug as they moved away from the store.

After Mr Perks had purchased a magnificent tawny owl for David and the McDonalds had purchased a beautiful brown owl for Mary, the group headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron. Petunia turned down the offered ice-cream so in an effort to maintain the harmony, the Evans' thanked Professor McGonagall and headed home.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

The Hogwarts Express.

If you've seen it before it belongs to JK Rowling.

"Mum come on!" the five-foot two bundle of excitement topped with red hair enthused. Lily pulled on her Mother's hand spotting Severus ahead of them in the crowd.

"Sev! Wait up!" she called waving her free arm, in an attempt to catch his attention, as she watched him being dragged quickly through the barrier between platforms nine and ten by a woman with long dark hair. Sadly, he didn't seem to hear her over the crowd.

Lily and her family followed, emerging into the press at Platform 9 and 3\4. Disappointingly she was unable to see Severus in the throng. Mr and Mrs Evans stared into the crowd, absorbing the scene made by the people wearing brightly coloured robes. They carried bird cages with owls of every species and dragged trunks behind them. Lily paused and turned to face Petunia who had stopped a short distance behind their parents, arms folded across her chest, a scowl marring her face.

Not far from the Evans', just a little way further along the platform James Potter, a boy with dark unruly hair also watched the passing crowd. Glancing up the platform his gaze fell on a **sallow faced boy standing next to a sour-looking woman whom he greatly resembled and who was staring at a family of four a short distance away.** James' gaze followed to the **two girls who stood a little apart from their parents. The younger,** whose hair looked like liquid fire, **seemed to be pleading with her sister.**

 **"…I'm sorry Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen-' She caught her sister's hand and held it tight, even though Petunia tried to pull it away. "Maybe once I am there- no listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"**

 **"I don't- want - to-go!" said Petunia and she dragged her hand out of her sister's grasp. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a-a-"**

He laughed to himself- the girl must be Muggleborn and her sister a Muggle. As if a Muggle could attend Hogwarts, didn't they know anything!

 **Her pale eyes roved over the platform, over the cats mewling in their owners' arms, over the owls fluttering and hooting at each other in cages, over the students, some already in their long black robes, loading trunks on to the scarlet steam engine or else greeting one another with glad cries after a summer apart.**

 **"- you think I want to be a-a freak?" she spat.** Her tone quiet enough that parents, too used to disagreements between the girls and Petunia's snide words, failed to notice the impending confrontation.

 **Lily's eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away.** Lily swiped her hand across her eyes, looking past Petunia at the crowd. Just a little further up the platform she finally saw Severus.

James' mind froze at the vehemence, why would that long necked giraffe speak to her sister that way? Why would she think her sister a freak? Surely someone had explained. He felt a little guilty watching these private moments, but something drew him in and he couldn't look away. He wasn't the only one, several people nearby had thrown glances towards the slight disturbance momentarily before judging it a family matter and turning away. The sallow faced boy he had spied early was still watching the girls intently.

 **"I'm not a freak," said Lily. "That is a horrible thing to say."**

 **"That's where you are going," said Petunia with relish. "A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy….weirdos, that's what you two are."**

What! Thought James, she knows another wizard?

 **"It's good you are being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."**

 **Lily glanced towards her parents who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene.** She noticed they were still completely unaware of the conflict. **Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce.**

 **"You didn't think it was such a freak school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you."**

 **Petunia turned scarlet.** James chuckled to himself again as he continued to watch- definitely Muggleborn. He wondered if Muggle post would even reach the castle. He supposed it must, how else would the parents of Muggleborn's write to them? Surely, they didn't all buy owls.

 **"Beg? I didn't beg!"** Petunia's voice gained an octave in indignation.

 **"I saw his reply. It was very kind."**

 **"You shouldn't have read-" whispered Petunia. "That was my private – how could you-?"**

 **Lily gave herself away by half glancing towards where Severus stood nearby. Petunia gasped.**

 **"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"**

 **"No – not sneaking-" Now Lily was on the defensive. "Severus saw the envelope and couldn't believe that a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover at the postal service who take care of-"**

 **"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" said Petunia, now as pale as she had been flushed. "** ** _Freak!_** **" she spat at her sister, and she flounced off to where her parents stood.**

Lily hung her head and shuffled closer to her parents as she wiped a hand over her eyes. Too engrossed in the sights, her Father failed to see her tears as he helped her pick up her trunk and carry it towards the train.

Judging the matter over James, who had often over the years wished he had a sibling (maybe someone like Justin) turned his attention elsewhere, briefly feeling grateful that he was an only child. He glanced back to see the girl hug her parent's goodbye and board the train. As he continued watching the people on the platform he couldn't help but think his parents never would have failed to notice if he had been that upset.

A short distance away stood another family with 2 dark-haired boys. Their Mother and Father were lecturing the eldest on their expectations of his behaviour while at Hogwarts. James briefly overheard "You will only consort with those of an appropriate station…," tuning out the rest of the diatribe he turned away to look around again, thinking they seemed a bit uptight, poor kid.

A call came from off to his left interrupting his thoughts. "James!" it was his Mother. "Quickly now onto the train." She smiled at him gently as she indicated towards the clock showing five minutes to eleven.

He briefly hugged her before weaving his way through the other families saying goodbye to board the train and enter the compartment in which they had stowed his trunk. It was no longer unoccupied. There in the corner sat the girl with red-hair. She didn't look around as he came in. Seated opposite her was a sandy haired boy with green eyes who smiled welcomingly.

"Mind if I come in? I put my trunk in here earlier," He said by way of explanation. "My names James," the girl didn't turn around, so he looked to the boy.

"Sure," the other boy replied with a shrug, "I'm…"

They were interrupted as a small blonde boy came into the compartment.

"Hi," he said starting to speak but was interrupted by the dark-haired boy with the bossy parents entering the compartment behind him.

"Looks like everywhere else is full," he said with an exaggerated sigh, "Think I'll join you guys here, if that's alright. I'm Sirius, Sirius Black. Who are you?" he was brimming with confidence.

The boys introduced themselves, but the red-haired girl continued to look out the window engrossed in her own world and presently the boys ignored her and began to discuss Quidditch.

 **Severus had changed into his school robes at the earliest opportunity and was now searching for Lily. At last he stopped, outside a compartment in which a group of rowdy boys were talking. Hunched in the corner seat beside the window was Lily, her face pressed against the window. She had been crying. She looked up as he came in.**

 **"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.**

The smile that had begun to spread across his face at the sight of her froze and fell before it was fully formed **"Why not?"**

 **"Tuney h- hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."**

Severus failed to see the issue after all it was just Petunia. **"So what?"**

 **She threw him a look of deep dislike.**

 **"So she's my sister!"**

 **"She's only a –" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him.** Severus let out a sigh of relief and let his excitement take over instead.

 **"But we're going!" he said unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"**

 **She nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.**

 **"You'd better be in Slytherin," said Snape, encouraged that she had brightened a little.**

 **"Slytherin?"**

 **The slight unruly haired boy sharing the compartment, who had shown no interest at all in Lily or Severus until that point, looked around at the word.**

 **"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked the boy lounging in the seats opposite him. The other dark-haired boy didn't smile.**

 **"All my family have been in Slytherin," he said.**

 **"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed all right!"**

 **Sirius grinned. "Maybe I'll break with tradition. Where are you headed, if you've got a choice?"**

 **James lifted an invisible sword. "** ** _Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!_** **Like my dad".**

 **Severus made a small disparaging noise. James turned on him.**

 **"Got a problem with that?"** he raised his chin in challenge.

 **"No," said Severus, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny then brainy-"**

 **"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?' interjected Sirius.**

 **James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius with dislike.**

 **"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment."**

 **"Ooooo…"**

 **James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Severus as he passed.**

 **"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called as the compartment door slammed.**

Further down the train Lily and Severus found another compartment where the sole occupant was a curly dark-haired girl who didn't respond when they asked if they could sit with her but sat gazing out the window. They took her silence to be agreement and chatted to each other quietly. Pausing only when interrupted by a clattering outside the compartment and a cheery voice saying:

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" as a grey-haired witch with a kind round face looked in through the door.

"Oh Sev, the sweets are different! What should we try?"

After a short discussion a dozen chocolate frogs and liquorice wands were purchased to be shared. They offered some to the other occupant of the compartment who graciously accepted a liquorice wand and stated her name was Nerida Lovegood, but she soon returned to her silent contemplation. The rest of the journey passed without incident, Severus leaving the compartment briefly to allow the girls to get changed into their robes.

As Lily and Severus exited the train Severus accidently stood on the back of Lily's robe and she stumbled, falling off the last step and knocking into the person in front of her.

"Oi," the boy called out as he fell.

"Oh I'm sorry, I…"

Green eyes meet hazel - there was a moment of connection, as she realised it was the messy haired boy from the first compartment.

"Sorry I tripped," Lily blushed in embarrassment.

He laughed as he jumped up seemingly not bothered, by the collision or the previous altercation "S'alright."

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a voice called over the crowd.

Lily and Severus struggled to cross the crush of students exiting the train and move in the direction of the booming voice. When she finally found its owner Lily's froze in shock, never had she ever seen anyone quite like him. He was a giant of a man, his face almost hidden by a long shaggy mane of hair and a wild tangled beard. She trembled in fright and stared up at him, her eyes large and round. His black eyes looked down at her pale visage and he grinned.

"I'm quite a sight ain't I, names Hagrid!" he chuckled "Don't you worry none, I don't bite" his dark eyes glinted, and she smiled shyly in return.

"C'mon, follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling they followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path, and round a bend.

"Now, that there is yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts, ain't she beautiful?" he indicated the castle as it came into view.

"Wow!" sighed Lily "It's just like I imagined it."

"No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called pointing to a fleet of little boats in the water by the shore.

Lily and Severus carefully clambered into a boat and were joined by Nerida and the sandy haired boy they had seen earlier who introduced himself as Remus Lupin. He seemed quieter than the other boys had been and less opinionated, though this might have been because he was now on his own. Hagrid waited until they were all settled before stepping into the largest boat by himself.

"Forward," he shouted and the boats began to glide across the water.

The silence was only broken by the lapping of the water as the boats drifted across the lake towards the great towering castle.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff on which the school stood.

Bending their heads, they passed through an ivy curtain and were carried into a dark tunnel, eventually reaching an underground harbour. The first years then clambered out of the boats, up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a door as Hagrid raised his hand. The sound of his knocking echoed round the cave.

Boom, boom, boom.

The door swung open to reveal the stern face of Professor McGonagall, her hair pulled back into the tight bun Lily recalled from their previous meetings. The Professor led them through the entry hall to a side chamber.

 **"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into you houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room."**

 **"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours"** as she finished she heard a whispering from the somewhere in the cluster of children standing in front of her and her eyes flicked to a group of four boys standing towards the back of the group, her lips drew into a thin line.

"The sorting ceremony will take place presently, see that you are respectable." So, saying, she departed the chamber.

Lily frowned and whispered to Severus "Is it some kind of test? I don't think I'll do any good, what if I don't have enough magic and they send me home?"

The four boys overheard and began to snicker. Ignoring the noise Severus reassured her "It'll be ok, Mum didn't say what it was, but she did say that it was simple, besides you have plenty of magic or you would never have received a letter."

He was interrupted from saying anymore by Professor McGonagall's return.

"We are ready for you now."

The group walked out of the chamber, across the entryway and through the double doors into the Great Hall. Lily's eyes were immediately drawn to the ceiling. She gazed in wonder at the starlit sky, the thousands of floating candles and then finally looked at the four long tables laden with golden plates and goblets that lined either side of the hall.

"It's like a fairy tale," she murmured. "How did they do that?"

James overheard and couldn't refrain from whispering "It's Magic!" into her ear, she was too filled with wonder to roll her eyes.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years and on top of this placed a much patched and frayed wizard's hat. The hat moved and then from a tear near the brim it began to sing:

 _I am a magic wizards hat as you can plainly see._

 _The Founders took their brains and hid them inside of me._

 _My job now is to sort you into the house where you'll reside_

 _Just pop me on your head so I can see what is inside._

 _Are you Gryffindors like Godric where dwell the Brave of Heart_

 _Or Ravenclaws like Rowena where dwell the very smart_

 _Or Hufflepuffs like Helga where the loyal make their friends._

 _Or Slytherins like Salazar where cunning folk achieve their ends._

 _So now is the time for all of you, to set me atop your head._

 _Let's get this sorting over so, that you can all be fed._

The hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. Professor McGonagall stepped forward unrolling a large scroll.

"When I call your name, you will come forward and sit on the stool and I will place the sorting hat on your head," she said. "Abbott, Anthony."

A stout brown-haired boy stepped forward and the hat was placed on his head as he sat down.

"Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat.

Aubery and Avery, were sorted then:

"Black, Sirius," the cocky, black-haired boy stepped forward his grey eyes glittering, as he sat on the stool. James looked up at his new friend willing him to be in Gryffindor.

"Mmm," Sirius heard a dusty voice in his mind, "a Black well, Blacks have always been Slytherin and yet… you don't want just follow the crowd, always questioning the rules hey? Hmmm, you're not the first, I have seen this before seven years ago, but she WANTED to be placed in Slytherin. But that's not what you want is it? Hrumph, a Black who is BRAVE, there is only one place for you… Gryffindor."

The last word was shouted to the hall.

As Sirius took off the hat and strutted to the cheering Gryffindor table, he turned his back to the Slytherin table and pretended he wasn't bothered by the glares of his cousins. He sat down and turned to watch the rest of the sorting throwing a grin at James.

Lily waited nerves building for her turn as child after child was called…..…until finally **Professor McGonagall said "Evans, Lily."**

 **She walked forward on trembling legs and sat down on the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat on to her head, barely a second after it had touched her dark red hair the Hat cried "Gryffindor!"**

 **She heard Severus let out a tiny groan. Lily took off the Hat, and handed it back to Professor McGonagall, then hurried towards the cheering Gryffindors, but as she went she glanced back at Severus and there was a sad little smile on her face. Sirius moved up the bench for her. She took one look at him, seemed to recognise him from the train, folded her arms and firmly turned her back on him.**

As the roll call continued Remus Lupin, Mary McDonald and James Potter all joined Lily and Sirius at the Gryffindor table. The hat deliberated for over 5 mins before it sorted the stout blonde-haired Peter Pettigrew eventually calling out Gryffindor.

"Fancy that, our young Peter is a hatstall. I believe Minerva was our last," murmured Dumbledore to the diminutive charms professor who was sitting beside him **.**

 **Finally when only a dozen students remained to be sorted, Professor McGonagall called Severus.**

 **"Slytherin!" cried the Sorting Hat.**

 **And Severus Snape moved off to the other side of the Hall, away from Lily, to where the Slytherins were cheering for him, to where** an elegant blonde-haired boy with **, a prefects badge gleaming upon his chest patted Severus on the back as he sat down beside him.** Then it was over, Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment and carried the Sorting Hat and stool from the Hall and the Headmaster rose to his feet his blue eyes twinkling.

"Welcome to a new school year, I would like to say a few words; however, they can wait until after the feast, so tuck in."

A cheer rose from the students as food appeared on the dishes in front of them. Lily had never seen such a feast; the food was amazing, and ghosts drifted across the hall greeting the students with merry wishes. Lily stared as they passed by and had a terrible urge to put a hand through one just to see what it felt like, but she thought it might not be polite, a small smile twisted her lips.

"Hey Red, what are you smiling at?" a laughing voice chuckled next to her.

She looked over, frowning in irritation at the teasing, as it bought to mind the jeering she had suffered at her last school, only to see a red headed boy looking back at her, smiling genuinely. His face was graced with a multitude of freckles and his pale eyes laughed merrily at her showing no hint of mocking.

She relaxed. "Just a thought," she hedged, smiling shyly back.

"Go on, I'm always up for a good laugh," he grinned, it seemed to be his default emotion.

"I was wondering what it would feel like to stick my hand through one of the ghosts, but then I thought it might be a bit..well..rude."

He smiled indulgently "Oi Nick!" the closest ghost turned around.

"Yes?" a ghost with an enormous ruffled collar turned and drifted towards them.

"This young lass wants to know what it feels like if she were to accidentally run through you. Would you mind?"

The Ghost puffed out his chest and introduced himself "I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

"Otherwise known as Nearly Headless Nick," chirped the redhead.

"Someone didn't do an efficient job?" guessed Lily.

"No," agreed Nick "And you are?" he held out his hand.

"Lily," she stuck out her hand and they made a show of shaking at the same time, she laughed at the icy cold feeling as her hand passed through his.

"Well I must go and meet the other first years, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask,"

"It was nice to meet you," she called as he drifted away.

"Well I have to ask, are you a Prewett or a Weasley?" the redhead enquired.

"Um," she said trying to decipher what he meant before deciding that they must be family names. "I'm an Evans, Lily Evan's," she replied as she stuck out her hand again.

He took it and gave it a proper shake.

"Ah, a Muggleborn then, but I bet there is Prewett or Weasley blood somewhere back in your family line, which would mean you are related to us." He indicated a boy sitting across from him who was clearly his older brother "I'm Fabian and this is Gideon and we are Prewetts," he said somewhat dramatically with a cheeky smirk "oh and that git, sitting next to my brother is Caradoc Dearborn."

A handsome dark-haired boy maybe two years older than herself, waved a fork in her general direction "Call me Doc," before returning his attention to the plate of food in front of him.

"Now seeing as we are nearly related, if you have any trouble, especially with the Slytherins, you just give us a call, and we'll sort it out."

"Oh thanks," Lily blushed "but I don't think I'll have any trouble, you see my best friend just got sorted into Slytherin."

"Well we'll see," he replied with a good naturedly as he turned back to his meal.

Lily turned her attention to eating and let the conversations flow around her as she finished her meal.

As suddenly as it had appeared the food vanished, and Dumbledore stood.

"Now that we have eaten our fill, I have a few start-of-term notices. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all students. I have also been asked by our caretaker to remind you all that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term and anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. Finally, this year a unique specimen has been planted on the grounds. Walking in the area surrounding the Whomping Willow is inadvisable to anyone who does not wish to be painfully injured **. And now, before we head to bed, let us sing the school song". Dumbledore gave his wand a flick and a long gold ribbon flew out of it and rose high above the tables, twisting itself into words.**

 **Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy, Warty Hogwarts,**

 **Teach us something please,**

 **Whether we be old and bald**

 **Or young with scabby knees,**

 **Our heads could do with filling**

 **With interesting stuff,**

 **For now they're bare and full of air,**

 **Dead flies and bits of fluff,**

 **So teach us things worth knowing.**

 **Bring back what we've forgot,**

 **Just do your best, we'll do the rest,**

 **And learn till our brains all rot.**

Lily giggled at Gideon and Fabian who were singing the song in falsetto.

"Now," said the headmaster as the cacophony had ceased, "Off to bed with you."

"Gryffindor first years this way," called Alexandria Wood, the fifth-year prefect, as she and Kingsley Shacklebolt lead the way out of the Hall and up the marble staircase.

The Prewett brothers and their friend tagged along behind the group, walking beside Lily and providing an amusing commentary on the sights of Hogwarts. Lily's favourite was the moving portraits and it wasn't long before she became distracted as she started to stop and say hello to each of the friendly faces. Doc smiled at her.

"Come on Squirt you can say hello to the rest later, now you need to pay attention to where you are going, or you will get lost tomorrow," he said as he ushered her towards a staircase.

"Oh and pay attention to the staircases they like to change, hurry up or we will lose the rest of the group!" Gideon interrupted.

They caught up to the rest without much trouble and were finally led down a corridor at the very end of which hung a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Talis est vita," replied Alexandria and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall.

They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was a cosy room furnished in rich reds and gold with many comfortable looking chairs and couches. The girls were directed through a door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Up a spiral staircase they found their beds at last and each fell asleep hidden behind the red velvet curtains of their four poster beds.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The First Prank.

Sunlight beamed into the room where four first year boys were just awakening to their first day of school. They quickly dressed and backtracking the path from the night before, were able to find their way to the Great Hall for breakfast without much fuss.

"What do we study this year?" Peter asked nervously.

"We'll see in a minute," Remus nodded his head towards their Head of House who was making her way towards them carrying a sheaf of papers.

She handed a paper to each of the boys and with an admonishment to behave she departed. The boys all glanced at their schedules.

"Well," said James reading aloud "First we have History of Magic with Binns."

"He was teaching when my Dad was here," cut in Remus "Dad said he's really boring."

James chuckled, "He's so old I am pretty sure he was teaching when my parents were in school! Which is saying something."

"Then we have Charms with Professor Flitwick," Remus continued with the schedule.

"My Dad said he is part Goblin, a half breed!" interjected Sirius "they didn't..."

He was interrupted by James "Then we have Transfiguration with McGonagall…she's a tough one." They all glanced around quickly to ensure their Head of House hadn't overheard.

"Then Lunch, then Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Roberts," added Remus "I heard he's new."

"Then there is Potions with Slughorn, we share that one with the Slytherins, Bleh. But at least we don't have it today. Today we only have History of Magic, Charms, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts," finalised James.

Looking around they noticed that in the time they had been dissecting their timetable, most people had headed to class and the Hall was nearly empty. Not wanting to be late on the first day they quickly exited and headed up the main stairwell in what they initially thought was the correct direction. It soon became apparent that they were wrong, and they were lost. Remus regretted not asking a prefect how to get to their first class.

"Man, someone should make a map of this place" grumbled Sirius as they trudged along a corridor.

"Ah guys," Peter piped up from the back of the group, looking up from where he had been flipping his timetable over and back. "There's one on the back of our schedules". He held it up for them to see.

5 minutes later they arrived at History of Magic. Professor Binns looked up as they came in.

"Now boys, why are you late..mmm?"

"Well ..ah…you see .." James mumbled not wanting to admit they had been lost but unable to think of an acceptable excuse "Well we .."

"Never mind, I will be generous today because this is your first lesson, but it will be detention next time you're late."

The boys quickly found seats at the back of the class room as Professor Binns began to speak. The class gradually fell into a stupor, influenced by Professor Binns' monotonous voice. Fighting to stay awake James' eyes found the red-headed girl in the front row sitting by herself diligently writing notes on Eric the Oddball and apparently the only one not succumbing to the pervading lethargy, before he gave in and after making a note of the chapter to read later began to doze.

The first week passed by in a blur and then..

"Finally! The last class of the week!" Sirius hollered as they departed the Great Hall after breakfast, the other boys grinned. "Onwards to the dungeons!" he raised his arm and pointed the way.

Last again, as they had been all week, to reach the classroom the boys entered to take the desks at the very back of the room. James looked around and noted that this time the red-head, Lily he thought her name was, wasn't alone but sat next to a lank haired boy that he thought he recognised.

James elbowed his neighbour "Oi, Sirius, who's that sitting with the Gryffindor at the front table?"

Sirius looked at the pair for a moment before frowning "Remember from the train, that git Snivellus," Sirius prompted.

"He's in Slytherin right?" Sirius nodded "Why's she sitting with him? She can't be sitting with a snake!" James was horrified at her lack of House loyalty.

Sirius shrugged as the round belly-ed Professor entered and began talking. The first half of the lesson consisted of taking notes on safety in the potions lab and the proper preparation of ingredients. Then the class was set to making a simple solution to cure boils, while Slughorn prowled the room providing feedback on their progress. He commented on the excellent quality of Lily and Snape's potions, but his lips were drew into a thin line as he approached the desk where Sirius and James were working.

"I would take it off the heat before adding the rest of those quills my boy, or it will explode," he suggested to James. "Hmm Potter is it?" Receiving a cursory nod from the boy he continued, "Your Father was rather good at potions as I recall, seems it hasn't been passed down, a shame really." Shaking his head sadly he moved on.

The boys hastened to take the cauldron from the heat as instructed. Glancing around the room they could see Snape standing at his desk smirking.

"Right," said James with a firm nod, when Slughorn had moved on past Remus and Peter's table. "Snape is the first one we're going to prank."

"And Evans?" suggested Sirius with a twinkly in his eye.

James grinned in agreement, "Yeah serves her right for sitting with the snake."

Later that afternoon the two boys were sitting on their beds in their dormitory discussing the matter when, Peter and Remus entered.

"Hey Guys," said Peter greeted the pair, feeling slightly concerned that whatever they were planning would be aimed at him. "What are you up to?"

"Hey," replied Sirius beckoning them over, "Just working on a prank. You want in?"

"Sure," came Peter's eager reply, happy to be included and happy that he clearly wasn't the intended target.

Remus walked past and sat on his own bed quiet for a moment, he couldn't cause trouble after everything Dumbledore had done for him, could he? "Um, I think I might head down to the library and get started on some homework actually."

"Aw come on, don't be a party pooper," Sirius cajoled turning puppy eyes on the Sandy haired boy.

"Nah maybe next time," Remus excused himself, gathered a few books and headed back out the door.

"Well who are we going to prank?" Peter asked.

"Snape the greasy haired Slytherin and Evans," James replied with a smirk.

Peter saw his first opportunity to make himself useful "Well, I have a book on some basic jinxes and hexes. It was my Dad's but you can have a look if you want. Don't tell anyone though 'cause I'm not supposed to have it, I snuck it into my trunk when Mum wasn't looking."

"Cor Blimey, that's the ticket. Let's have a go at that then," grinned James.

The boys eagerly flipped through the pages.

"Here how about this one- Cantis- makes the victim burst uncontrollably into song, whenever they attempt to speak?"

"Hmm how cool would that be if we could cast it on everyone in the Great Hall at once…..might not be as effective for just two unless we can combine it with something else but mark it for later," they tore a piece of parchment and tagged the page.

"Then there's Colloshoo- causes the victims shoes to be stuck to the ground with an adhesive ectoplasm," Peter read aloud.

"Small scale yes, could be used in potions, but not quite what we are after. I think we want big impact for this first one. Something in the Great Hall…." James said as they continued flicking. "What about this one….sub veste revelatum!"

After reading the description the three boys exchanged looks and grinned.

"It's perfect!"

"We just need to make sure they arrive at the Great Hall together, _after_ everyone else is there, say on… Friday night at dinner, then you," he pointed at the smallest of the boys, "Peter can create a diversion so everyone looks towards the doors as they enter and then we," he indicated to himself and Sirius "will cast the spell on them."

"Do you think we can do it right away?" Sirius tipped his head on the side looking at the pattern of the wand movement in the book.

James grinned "there's only one way to find out. Well let's give it a go, are you decent under there?"

"Yeah sure," Sirius gulped.

And so the practice began.

By Friday they had observed their victims thoroughly and knew the two would come down to dinner together at 7:15 after studying in the library all afternoon. They would separate to their respective house tables just inside the doors. Peter waited in an alcove on the outside of the Hall until the pair had passed him by, then as they entered the hall he pushed over one of the suits of armour, that stood in the Entrance Hal, it fell with a great clatter causing everyone to turn and the teachers to rise from their seats. Suddenly tittering burst from round the hall as it appeared that Lily and Severus's outer clothes had been removed and both were standing in their underwear, a vague shadowy line all that was left visible of their robes. Confused the pair looked around, then at each other and then down at themselves. Lily gave a squeal, turned bright red and bolted out of the hall with Severus not far behind her. James, Sirius and Peter burst into gales of laughter.

"Potter, Black, Pettigrew- my office now!" McGonagall's stern voice echoed through the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hagrid

Early Saturday morning a thin figure could be seen walking away from the Castle towards the Forbidden Forest. Long red hair whipping like a flag in the breeze, her face sad and eyes glossy with unshed tears and rimmed by dark circles. The humiliation and embarrassment of the prank in the Great Hall had been converted into an inability to sleep as memories of being the freak in the playground played through her head. She hesitated as she came past the gardens and cottage belonging to the Gamekeeper, before determinedly taking a few more strides towards the forest.

"An' what do you think you might be doin'?" a gruff voice challenged as she made to pass the hut.

As she turned Hagrid smiled at her. He remembered her from the first day at the train station, she had looked so frightened and pale as if any moment she might bolt but had bravely stood her ground. He was not disappointed as she did the same again.

"I.. well… I thought I would look at that tree right there on the edge of the forest," she hesitated shyly. "See the one with that branch quite close to the ground?" A raised hand to indicate the tree in question.

"Aye..I see it, and what were ya goin' to look at it fer?"

"Well I thought I might….." here she ducked her head and flushed slightly in an embarrassed sort of way. "I thought I might..climb it."

"And why would yer do that?" Hagrid asked, what had initially begun as an attempt to prevent rule breaking now continued as genuine curiosity.

"Well whenever I'm upset at home that is what I do," the girl hastened to explain. "I climb a tree and feel the wind on my face and then I feel better." Her voice grew stronger as she became more sure of the half giant.

"Hmm," grunted Hagrid understanding well her desire to be amongst the calming presence of nature in a time of stress. "Well I can't go letting yer climb that tree on account o' it bein' in the forbidden forest, but how's about you come in and have a cuppa tea with me? Now yer know me names Hagrid keeper of the keys, so what's yours?" and he stuck out his hand.

"Lily Evans," Lily murmured finally raising her eyes to look up at his friendly face and taking his hand and shaking it, giggling a little as she did so. "Well Mr Keeper of the keys, tea does sound lovely."

Hagrid led Lily into his small one roomed hut and stoked the fire to put the kettle on. He busied himself preparing the pot before enquiring further.

"So, what has got you so upset?" his eyes twinkled as if he knew something.

"Well," she huffed. "It seems so silly saying it out-loud. I'm homesick, even for my sister and I have no friends here apart from Sev and I'm not really allowed to talk to him and then some boys played a horrid trick on me last night at dinner and now I'm too embarrassed to even go into the Great Hall so I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday."

Her stomach grumbled in agreement. She found it easy to talk to the large man, his nature was surprisingly gentle and this hut was warm and welcoming.

"Hmm," he said. "Well one thing at a time I guess. It's ok to be homesick now and then, especially if you've never been away from your folks before," he questioningly met her gaze and she shook her head. "An' it takes time to make friends. Some people makes 'em easier than others so don't worry 'bout that. I can tell yer a bit shy, but people will warm up to yer soon. I take a while me-self, though tha' is usually because people get a bit nervous around me, I don't know why really," he chuckled. "An' why can't you talk to yer friend Sev?"

"Well he's in Slytherin and I'm in Gryffindor and the others all said that I can't talk to him because he's a snake and then the people in his house said that he can't….."

"So yer a brave Gryffindor lettin' other people tell yer what to do and think eh" she blushed. "You go ahead and be friends with him and the rest can go jump in the Black Lake. Oh, and the prank, I heard 'bout that. Don't you worry none. No one blames you for it. It won't take long before the rest of them forget. Those boys are going to be up to their arms in mischief and they'll soon get bored o' teasin' you and find some new game to play."

Lily smiled up at him gratefully and burden inside her released slightly at having shared her troubles. "Thanks Hagrid."

They talked for hours about classes, (Lily confessed that while Potions was fun, and she seemed have a knack for it, Charms was her favourite), and teachers, until the whole kettle of tea was gone. She looked thoughtful as she finished the last of her tea and placed her cup on the table preparing to leave, as if she was trying to build the courage to ask something.

"Um Hagrid?" she finally asked turning back to him as she reached the door.

"Yes Lily."

"Um," she hesitated "what's a Mudblood?"

The world outside the hut was silent and in that moment Hagrid's smile dropped and his face became solemn. "Why do yer want to know?"

Unsure what to make of the friendly giants sudden change of demeanour, she stuttered "Um, um well y..y..you see. Patricia and Amy from Slytherin called me that on Tuesday. I could tell it was rude but…" she looked downcast and ashamed.

"Well," said Hagrid in a gentler tone and an understanding look in his dark eyes. "Some wizards believe tha' blood matters and those that don't have pureblood, or wizards and witches for parents and grandparents and so on have dirty blood and so are less; less able and less worthy. It is a bad word an' untrue, so you just ignore 'em and keep tha' chin o' yours up," he gave her a smile as she slipped out of his house. "Feel free ta come visit when yer like."

"I will. Thanks Hagrid, for everything." She turned and headed towards the castle.

After a minute she looked back and checked that the door to Hagrid's hut was closed. Assured that it was she quickly turned to run back to the tree on the edge of the forest and practically flew into its branches. She climbed to the top and stood looking out on the world. The forest was calm, green and dark before her and the grounds around the castle were sunlit and open. After a few deep breaths she jumped down, a proper smile finally gracing her face. Maybe she would visit the library and see if Sev was there, it would be good to see another friendly face. Her mind made up she headed back.

After she had gone Hagrid thought about his little visitor and smiled to himself as he tidied away the cups. She was as timid as a doe, flighty and shy. Not like those other rascals he had already chased out of the forbidden forest, they were like a bunch of puppies, boisterous, loud and always looking for mischief. Lost in thought he returned to his work.

Looking around the library Lily couldn't see Severus anywhere. She sighed as she sat down at a table, she really would have liked to tell him all about her chat with Hagrid.

"So great a sigh" a gentle voice behind her said.

"Argh!" she squealed, earning a glare from the librarian Madam Pince, as she turned around to see the Sandy haired boy from the boats.

Remus winced at the high-pitched noise "Sorry, didn't mean to give you a fright."

"Sorry," Lily apologised as she bit her lip embarrassed that she had startled so easily. With a surreptitious glance in the harridan's direction she added, "Madam Pince doesn't seem to enjoy loud noises, does she?"

"Not at all," he chuckled wryly shaking his head. "So, what are you doing in here?"

"Well I came to find my friend Sev, but I can't see him. So, I am going to finish the homework I have left."

"Have you done the Charms assignment yet?"

"No, do you want to work together?" she offered on impulse looking up into his gold flecked green eyes..

"Sure," he said a trifle hesitantly as if he thought the offer was too good to be true.

The two settled down to work. Curious by nature Remus couldn't help but ask, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How do you know Snape?"

"Oh, he lives around the corner from me at home," she replied easily.

"So, you are a pureblood then?" he frowned at what he now believed was his mistaken assumption that she was a Muggleborn.

"Um no, both my parents are muggles," she bit her lip thoughtfully. "Though, there was one Great Aunt we had, who no one talks about and it makes me wonder….Why do you ask?" She had a feeling he was going to allude to the House rivalry.

"Well just, he is in Slytherin and Slytherins don't usually associate with those who are not…well... Purebloods that is, they tend to think it's rather important. It's not just muggleborns either, I'm a halfblood myself and they look down on me too," he said this calmly as if stating a fact, so she tried not to be too offended. While his statement seemed to fit with what she had learned from Hagrid it was contrary to Sev's opinion.

"Well Sev told me that blood makes no difference." She recalled the day she had talked to Severus , they had been hiding from Petunia in a thicket of trees by the river, he had told her how they would get the letter by owl, and then because she was muggleborn someone, probably one of the professors, would come and explain all about the school to her parents and she had asked…

 **"Does it make a difference, being a Muggle-born?"**

 **Severus hesitated. His black eyes eager in the greenish gloom, moved over her pale face and dark red hair.**

 **"No," he said. "It doesn't make any difference."**

It had reassured her at the time, now she was here she knew that wasn't quite true and she did wonder why he hadn't warned her, why he had lied, but she was confident that at least it made no difference to him. Coming out of her reverie she saw Remus looking at her, maybe it was Sev who was different from the rest.

"I don't think he's like the others, he has been terribly kind to me." She thought of how Severus had stayed by her side to face Tuney's wrath, comforting her as her sister slowly turned against her.

"Mmm," he said nodding, easily accepting what she had said. After all, she knew the guy and he didn't want to upset her by arguing. "Well as long as he is I suppose. Anyway, what was it? A foot of parchment on Wingardum Leviosa- including the correct pronunciation, wand movement and expected effects?"

She nodded and smiled at him, pulling a text book towards herself, thinking that the day was looking better already.

Somewhere near the dungeons in the Slytherin common room, with its eerie green light from the sun being filtering through the water of the lake. Severus sat with all the other Slytherin first years huddled in soft green armchairs surrounding a couch on which Lucius Malfoy was sitting as they listened to him extol the virtues of the true Slytherin.

"Blood and Power are everything. They are as two branches of the same tree. Soon we will take those of you who are deemed worthy aside and start to teach you other magic. Magic that is greater than they teach you in class!"

Next to him, half draped over his side, Narcissa Black sat with her white blonde hair and pale skin, adoring eyes cast upon him.

"Do you mean curses and hexes and stuff?" enquired Evan Rosier.

"Yes, and more," Malfoy agreed.

"Well," said Severus confidently "I know a heap of those already so I'm going to head to the library."

"Confidence is one thing young Mr Snape but arrogance is another. We'll test your skills soon then," Malfoy sneered.

"That will be fine," said Severus pseudo-confidently without looking over his shoulder as he exited the common room.

After the previous night's fiasco Snape wanted more than anything to see Lily. The Slytherins were okay he supposed but as a group they were belligerent and snobbish, and no one in the house made him want to smile the way she did. She had stood by him at home, even offering him the spare room in their house when things were bad between his parents. But where would he find her? Out on the grounds, up a tree? No, he decided, today, today she would be in the library.

Opening the door to the library the overwhelming sense of knowledge contained within hit him. It was a similar feeling to discovering the boxes of his Grandfather's old spell books. There was so much more to learn here. Maybe, he thought, maybe there was more that Malfoy can teach him. Looking around he couldn't see her red hair anywhere, so he walked further into the room passing the long rows of books, until he heard a familiar laugh. She was laughing! That wasn't right, that wasn't fair, she was his friend first, and she should have been waiting for him! A seed of jealousy formed in his chest and he started to fume as he ducked into an aisle peering between the shelves. There he saw her sitting at one of the tables towards the back of the room. She was chatting happily to one of the four boys from the train. It was a betrayal. How dare she betray him by making friends with them. No! He thought, she didn't betray him, _they_ were stealing her away, _they_ were the ones he should be angry with. He didn't know when or how but he was going to make them pay. He rushed out of the library and back down to the dungeons to have a word with Malfoy.

"Malfoy!" he called as he hastened into the room.

"Yes," Lucius looked up interrupted in his conversation with Narcissa.

"I've changed my mind. I was wrong," He stated firmly.

"Well, well, well, what made you change your mind?" the blonde boy sneered.

"A trip to the library. I have studied my Grandfather's books, and leant much, but there is always more." It was the truth just not the entire truth.

Lucius smiled showing all of his teeth "Well how about we test you now."

"Ok," agreed the younger boy more cautious now he was faced with that shark like grin.

Lucius stood and lead Severus out into the dungeons hallway where he operated a switch and they entered a cell like room.

"Right Mr Snape," he turned to face the younger boy and bowed, a movement which Severus copied understanding the forms "Show me your best."

Severus gave a tight-lipped smile and the duel began. For the age difference between the two they were surprisingly well matched. They built their way from simple hexes to curses until:

"Enough." Lucius called, the curses where becoming severe enough that should one of them take a hit they would have considerable difficulty explaining it to Madam Pomfrey. "Is that all that you know?"

"No," it was a blunt statement of fact.

"Have you tried them before?"

"I haven't." Lucius looked shocked.

"That was your first duel?"

"Yes. I am only eleven."

"Mr Sna….Severus this first time you used those spells?" Lucius needed to be sure.

"Yes."

"I find it difficult to believe that you've read about them only," looking at the slight smirk on the boys face, Lucius smiled greedily "Well, I guess your arrogance may be well deserved after all."

"And there are other spells you have read about, but not yet practiced?"

"Yes."

"Well, how about you show me?" Lucius conjured a human shaped dummy and Severus began to demonstrate, with Lucius providing tips and feedback.

It was late into the night when the two finished, both sweating from their exertion, and made their way back to their common room.

"Lucius, you deserted me!" Narcissa called out to him as he entered. "Did you even have supper?"

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at her "I have had work to do for my Father and it has gone very well. I must notify him immediately."

He left her standing perplexed as he went to find parchment and quill.

 _Dear Father,_

 _I know you had hopes that Sirius Black would be placed in Slytherin and would be amenable to our cause, however this has not occurred. In an unprecedented move he was sorted into Gryffindor. However, it seems that one of our first years shows promise. Unfortunately, his blood is less pure than might be desired, but his talent quite overshadows this._

 _Sincerely_

 _Lucius_


	7. Chapter 7

.

There was a sign on the notice board in the common room advertising the one lesson that nearly all the First Years had been looking forward to since school began; flying lessons! Most of those from wizard families already had some experience and had bought their own brooms, their excitement quickly spread to the others. The lessons were to commence the following Thursday **.** As was traditional Slytherin and Gryffindor had the lesson together, Lily for one was relieved; at least she would have her friend in the class with her. Having never flown before she was very nervous, and she was well aware that this wasn't something she could learn from a book. Some of the class, namely Potter and Black, had spent the days leading up to the lesson bragging about their daring escapades, like how they had had run ins with low flying aircraft as they played quidditch at home.

The day of the lesson was overcast and cold, a steady breeze blowing across from the Forbidden forest. Perhaps a dozen broomsticks were laid out in two lines on the lawn, for those unlucky enough not to have their own. They were all old, with bristles sticking out in all directions. Lily stood next to one between Severus and Remus, patiently awaiting their teacher, jiggling her legs nervously. Looking to her left she noticed that Remus looked pale and unwell, she wondered if he was he sick or just really nervous too. Presently Madam Hooch came strolling across the grass, her golden yellow eyes flashing in a beam of sunlight.

As she reached the class she said "Today we will start with the basics of flying, even if you have flown before, you need to obey my instructions or face detention, understood? **Stick out your right hand over your broom and say UP!"**

"Up!" the class repeated, brooms leapt into owner's hands. Those using the school brooms had some difficulty as the older brooms seemed recalcitrant. Lily's rolled over a few times before it finally jumped up the third time she called it, giving her a slight surprise as it did so. Remus was successful at nearly the same time as Lily, and Severus wasn't far behind.

When they had all achieved this first step, Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and walked between the lines correcting their grip.

When she was satisfied she continued " **When I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle –three – two-** one – Peeep!" The whistle blast sounded.

Lily held her breath as she nervously kicked off, rose, leaned forward and landed, smiling in relief with her success. Next to her Remus had a tightening around his eyes showing his fear as his broom tipped wildly, he gripped the handle tightly, applied pressure forwards and he too landed safely. Lily looked over at Severus who was still in the air looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Try leaning a little further forward," she encouraged. He smiled at her when this worked, and he successfully landed.

"Good," said Madam Hooch "Now on my whistle, you will kick off rise slightly and fly to the closest Quidditch goal and land. Three- two- one- peeep!"

Again, Lily held her breath as she kicked off, rose and slowly adjusted her weight till the broom was moving forward. Then she allowed herself to breathe, again grinning nervously as she looked at Remus, noting he was anxious as well.

"Race?" she suggested.

"Slowest race ever, if we do," he laughed, and it appeared to ease his anxiety somewhat.

Gradually they made their way to the post and landed, smiling at each other as they arrived at the same time. Looking up she saw James and Sirius had been amongst the first to arrive, and they were laughing madly at something behind her. She turned and saw Severus coming along slowly but flying so low that his feet were almost touching the ground, she smiled encouragingly at him, and then turned back to glare and Sirius and James

.

"You are all doing very well, so next we will try for a little more distance. When I blow the whistle, you will kick off from here, fly twice around the Quidditch pitch, trying to go a little higher than the last time and then land. Remember to be aware of those around you and fly within your limits if this is your first time. Three- two- one- peeep!"

The whistle blasted again. Lily kicked off and rose into air gaining a bit more height and started around the field. As she was starting to enjoy the wind in her hair and was feeling more comfortable she began to increase her speed a little.

It wasn't long before she heard a buzzing whirr behind her that was increasing in volume. Gingerly she looked back to see James and Sirius approaching as they raced each other around the field. There was barely an arms width between them and with a start she realised they were going to pass on either side of her! Her white knuckled grip on the broom handle tightened further and she held her breath. The wind currents as they flew by caused her broom to buck wildly and she let out a squeal, the two boys laughed. Bravely she tried to steer herself lower as she had been buffeted much higher then she felt comfortable.

Moments later the whirring buzz sounded again, and she gripped firmly onto the broom, bracing herself once more. However, this time one of the boys clipped the bristles of her broom knocking the rear upwards and she spun out of control. Screaming and struggling to stabilise the broom it took a few heart thumping moments before finally managed to get it back under control. Lily was disorientated and facing the opposite direction to everyone else when James and Sirius approached for a third time, she shut her eyes as she heard the whirr peak. She was vaguely aware of Madam Hooch blowing her whistle and screaming to the boys that they had been around twice and now must land, but the two just grinned manically.

"Oi! Evans you appear to be going the wrong way," laughed James.

"Here we'll give you a hand" said Black.

Sirius reached out and pushed her broomstick sidewards with all of his momentum. Lily screamed as the broom kicked and bucked fully out of control now. She veered to the left and rammed into another flier, it might have been Remus, certainly it was too high for Severus, knocking them both asunder and into other students. Lily was pushed off the course barrelling full pelt into a tree and being knocked unconscious.

Lily came round in the hospital wing to the sounds of laughter.

"You should have seen Evans' face!" the boy guffawed. Lily huffed in annoyance.

"You should have heard her scream!" laughed the other.

She looked over to see James and Sirius sitting on either side of Peter's bed, seeing the instigators of the incident sitting round and ridiculing made her self-control break.

"You're a pair of right gits! You could have killed someone! You know that don't you?" Lily raged from her bed. "If it wasn't for you two, it would never have happened, I was flying along just fine until you started your shenanigans!"

The boys looked at her angry red face and then back to each other and laughed even more hysterically. "We're all wizards and witches Evans, there's no way a little tumble like that would kill anyone."

With a loud huff Lily turned her back on them and tried to sleep, her head aching as the boys continued to laugh loudly. It seemed like hours before James and Sirius eventually left and Lily looked around to see who else was in the ward; 10 students had been injured in the accident, most were asleep. Remus was in the bed closest to Madam Pomfrey's room and now looked decidedly unwell. Lily risked getting out of bed to go over to him, her head spinning as she walked.

"Are you ok?" she whispered as she approached his bed.

"What do you care?" came the unexpectedly angry response and Lily was worried it was because she had knocked into him.

Lily bit her lip, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry if you're upset about the crash, but I didn't cause it," Remus shook his head. "I was just checking how you were as you were looking unwell earlier," she explained.

"I'm fine," he huffed "not that it's any of your business." He rolled away from her to face the wall.

"Ok," Lily snuck back to her bed, and found her bag on the floor.

She looked back at Remus intuitively knowing there was something wrong, he was one of the nicest people she had met so far, and it was unusual for him to be this grumpy. Whatever it was, it was clearly something that he didn't want to share. A thought crossed her mind – something which might help him feel better, well it always made her feel better. Lily took a chocolate frog from her bag, got out her wand and then used the charm they had started learning about on the first day "Wingardium Leviosa". The frog floated through the air and gently landed on Remus's bed. He looked around in surprise and smiled as he saw it. Lily tucking her wand out of sight, lay back onto her pillows and as she closed her eyes a gentle smile curled on her lips.

With the exception of Remus, everyone was discharged from the hospital wing the next day. James and Sirius were given 3 detentions and lost 20 house points each but seemed unfazed by this punishment. Rumour had it that Anthony Diggory from Hufflepuff had been inspired by their efforts and attempted to break the flight speed record, so causing an only slightly less devastating scene in the lesson that Hufflepuff shared with Ravenclaw. Madam Hooch had been less than amused.

Somewhat pleased to be gaining notoriety James and Sirius then pulled a number of flying pranks over the subsequent weeks. One Friday night they flew up to an open window on the Gryffindor tower and threw rotten eggs into the first-year girl's dormitory. The next night they flew to Professor McGonagall's window and serenaded her till past curfew and finally on a bright Sunday afternoon they climbed the astronomy tower and launched themselves from the top to dive bomb the students that were walking around the grounds, the screams were heard in the Headmaster's office.

When this last stunt was copied by the less talented Bertrum Aubrey, who only escaped plummeting to his death because Professor Slughorn, who happened to be walking the grounds, cast a cushioning charm, broomstick rights for first years were withdrawn, their brooms confiscated and locked up in the broom shed until the end of the year. Sirius and James became more infamous then famous throughout the school and many first years grumbled that they now wouldn't be considered for their House teams, not that a first year had made the team in the last eighty years.

"Serves them right," said Lily to Severus in the Library one day. "They've been acting like maniacs on those things, it was only a matter of time until someone got seriously hurt."

"I couldn't agree more," he agreed affably only half paying attention to her as he worked on an essay.

"Why would you care anyway Evans, you're useless on a broom!" jeered James who was walking past. Madam Pince gave him a stern look, which he ignored.

"Go away Potter, I wasn't talking to you!"

"Go away Potter," he mimicked in a high pitched voice.

"Argh," she groaned, but fortunately the source of her frustration continued walking round the next shelf in the library.

"He's just a git," said Severus "Don't let him get to you."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to share a Common room with him, or have him throwing dung bombs and hexes at you."

"Very true, still it isn't getting our work done" and the pair returned to their books.

"Petal?" interrupted Severus about half an hour later when he remembered a meeting he had set up with Lucius.

"Mmmm," Lily looked at him from across the table.

"I forgot I have to go and catch up with one of the guys, he is teaching me some new spells. Do you want me to teach them to you after I've learnt them?"

"Sure Sev, I'll give them a go," she smiled thinking what a good friend he was to help her learn about this new world.

"Alright I said to Malfoy I would be there round seven so I had best go."

Lily was working away quietly when a shy voice came from beside her. "Um do you mind if I sit here?" she jumped at the sound.

Lily looked up into green eyes and smiled "Sure Remus you are always welcome."

"Um, Lily, I wasn't meaning to eavesdrop but I heard what Snape said before he left and I don't know if you know but that Lucius Malfoy he was talking about, well he's bad news. His family is into the dark arts."

"Oh, I don't think Sev would be getting into anything bad. He's just getting some tutoring and he has promised to teach me the spells, so they can't be anything terrible but, thanks for warning me," she reassured.

"Oh that's ok as long as you know."

A minute passed in silence. "Um Lily?"

"Yes Remus."

"Well I'm sorry I was rude in the hospital, the other day."

"That's okay," she responded warmly "You were obviously unwell and had just had a fall from a broomstick, anyone would have been grumpy. Just so you know I wasn't trying to pry, I was just worried about you."

"Thanks for the frog, it really helped."

"I'm glad."

"Um, one last thing? Could I borrow the notes from those lessons I missed while I was sick?"

"Sure Remus," Lily smiled as she dug them out of her bag and passed them over. "Any time you are sick, you don't need to ask. I'll always help a friend."

Heads down the pair got to work, finishing their tasks just as Madam Pince came to warn them that it was nearly curfew. In comfortable silence they packed up and walked back to the common room together.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

The Dark Arts Practiced.

The lake filtered light illuminated a girl sitting in a cushioned chair in a hidden corner of the Slytherin common room. Surreptitiously she listened to the conversation of a group sitting not far away but blocked from sight by a large couch, whilst she pretended to read. She knew the book well, which was wise as it provided an alibi in case she was questioned. If she was caught eavesdropping on this conversation the consequences were likely to be severe.

"If we do it right it will look like Sirius is the culprit," said the white-haired boy in hushed tones. Malfoy was the oldest of the group and a fifth-year prefect, by rights he shouldn't be condoning rule breaking. "But you will need to practice, these spells aren't commonly used by tadpoles such as you."

"But Lucius, won't Aunt Walburga be displeased if Sirius gets into more trouble," the nasal voice of the boy's girlfriend, Narcissa whined.

"Doubtful," replied Lucius "You know the family is still angry about him being sorted into Gryffindor. I would hate to be on the receiving end of the punishment he'll get when he goes home. However, we can't practice the spells here, we will meet in the smallest potions classroom tonight at 8. Now clear off you lot, I'm sure you have homework to do."

The group dispersed slowly and headed to various parts of the castle. When the eavesdropper was certain that the whole group had cleared the common room, Andromeda Black emerged from her corner and headed out of the dungeons shaking her dark curls- she needed to warn her cousin he was being set up. The middle daughter of the Black family paced the halls of the castle, quickly becoming lost on the upper floors as she searched for the Gryffindor common room. Coming around a corner she ran into a warm wall and landed on the floor.

"Oh sorry!" she exclaimed breathlessly cheeks flushing, embarrassed by her clumsiness.

A hand extended towards her and a deep friendly voice replied, "No problem, the fault's all mine, I wasn't watching where I was going."

Andromeda looked up and found a friendly pair of blue eyes set in a handsome face. She couldn't help but feel there was something familiar about this boy. His hand was warm as she took it and was pulled into standing.

"Andromeda Black," she introduced herself still holding his hand.

"Edward Tonks," he replied "but my friends call me Ted. Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Their hands dropped between them.

"Oh, I need to find my cousin Sirius, he's in Gryffindor but I don't know where their tower is. It feels like I have been searching for ages."

"Well, I have just seen that young rascal in the fourth floor corridor and if I didn't know better I would say he is heading to the Great Hall for lunch."

"Damn," Andromeda scowled at having her plan thwarted.

Edward gave a small smile at the out of place language "Is that a problem?"

"Well, um," she looked embarrassed. Edward, dare she think of him as Ted, indicated in the direction he had been travelling and the pair began to walk. "Well our family is rather strict and I am only supposed to talk to appropriate people and because Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor he isn't really….so…, I was trying to talk to him without being seen."

"Define appropriate people?" Ted looked genuinely curious.

"Well," she blushed "It's embarrassing, they um, they, um, only want me speaking to people who um.."

"Are pureblood?" he guessed, she gave a slight nod. "Odd family."

"Rather. It's stuff and nonsense really," she sighed hoping she was making her thoughts on the matter clear as she glanced sideways at him "but the family punishments are …." she trailed off.

Ted felt like there was lead in his stomach and he desperately wanted to ask if they would hurt her but thought it too forward a question. He looked at her closely and quietly asked "So how would your family feel about you talking to a Muggleborn like me then?"

She smiled "They wouldn't like it, but I'm rather enjoying it."

He smiled in return "Well how about I arrange a meeting between yourself and your cousin. Hufflepuffs are usually quite welcome at the Gryffindor table. You just wait in the History of magic classroom on the first floor and I'll send him along."

She blushed, "Thanks for helping Edward."

His eyes glowed warm as he said "Please call me Ted."

She was waiting patiently when Ted returned with Sirius.

"Andy!" Sirius sounded surprised as he rushed over to give her a hug "I thought you weren't allowed to .." and he mumbled something, Ted could only make out the word blood traitor.

"Well, they have said I'm not supposed to be seen with you, but I really needed to warn you," she said urgently. Forgetting Ted's presence for the moment she continued, "Lucius Malfoy is planning something, and they are going to try and pin it on you. I don't know what but it's dark magic. They are going to be practicing in the smallest potions room tonight at eight. Be careful little cousin you know you were always my favourite."

"Thanks Andy, we'll try and sneak down there and overhear. If you could keep an eye out for any else and let me know I'd appreciate it. Using the school Owls might be the safest way to contact me."

"No problem Sirius. While I remember, when you get home at Christmas, watch your back. The family is out for blood this time."

Sirius grimaced, "Thanks for the warning. It's only going to get worse from here; I'm surprised I didn't get a howler!" He turned quickly and exited the room leaving his cousin alone with Ted.

"So… thanks Ted. I don't know how I can ever repay you," Andromeda turned her dark eyes towards the other boy.

"Well," he gave a cheeky grin, "Perhaps you could accompany me on the first Hogsmeade trip?"

"I'd love to, though I might have to come in disguise."

"I'm sure we'll manage. I've never know a Slytherin like you."

She laughed "I think I'll take is as a compliment, see you then."

He watched silently as she walked away.

An hour later in the boy's dorm Sirius was pacing the floor, muttering to himself.

"Dungeons at 8, Dungeons at 8, but how do I get there without being seen? Argh this is useless!"

"Um Sirius are you alright?" Peter asked as the rooms three other residents entered the room.

"You didn't come back to lunch after Ted came and got you, so we've grabbed you some sandwiches." He placed a loaded plate on Sirius' bedside table.

"Guys come in and shut the door. I have a problem," he confessed.

He relayed the information that Andromeda had given him.

"So you see, I have to go down to the dungeons and get close enough to where they are to hear their plans without being see. Then I have to make it back here, probably after curfew without being caught. Anyone got any ideas?" he looked around the group.

There was silence for a moment then Remus spoke.

"Well we could scope it out first. We can head down there in our free period and see if there are any nooks or crannies we can hide in. We might be able to stand in an adjacent room and hear everything without being in the same room."

"Remus you're a genius."

The boys headed back down the stairs.

Lily had spent the morning visiting with Hagrid. He had shown her the pumpkins in his vegetable patch, that he was preparing for the Halloween feast and he had even allowed her to practice an engorgement charm on them. Looking at the giant gourds both of them were pleased with the results. As was usual after visiting the half-giant she had ducked across to climb the tree that she loved on the edge of the forest and had whiled away an hour just feeling the breeze and watching the forest, before heading to the library to wait for Severus. She enjoyed these moments of peace, but she did miss her friend and she was now seated in the library completing what was left of the week's essays while she waited for him.

"Hi Petal," his voice sounded beside her causing her to jump.

Damn she thought I am so easy to sneak up on! She smiled as she asked him which essay he wanted to complete first, knowing with his extra tutoring he wouldn't have had chance to start as yet, and the pair settled down to work. The desk became cluttered with books as they researched shrinking potions for Slughorn, inanimate transfiguration for McGonagall and the phases of the moon for astronomy. At seven thirty Severus excused himself to head to the dungeons to practice those new spells with only the astronomy homework left to complete.

"Just when are you going to teach me those spells Sev?" she asked a little impatiently as he packed his bag.

"Later," he replied nonchalantly "I haven't mastered them yet."

"Oh, ok then, have fun," she called as he left, earning a look from the Librarian.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had had no luck finding a place to hide and observe the Slytherin gathering and were now practicing tripping jinxes on unsuspecting passers-by as they walked the corridors to vent their frustration.

"Guys!" said Peter thoughtfully as they ducked through a door that was pretending to be a tapestry. "Do you think Evans might know about this Slytherin thing? She _is_ friends with Severus."

Sirius stopped "You're bloody brilliant Peter," he groaned "but she wouldn't tell us, especially after that prank in the great hall."

"And the flying incident!" agreed James.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go," volunteered Remus "She'll be in the library, I'll meet you guys back in the dorm," he headed off.

Lily was just finishing her chart on the phases on the moon when someone approached her desk.

"Hi Remus. How are you going?" she said as she looked up (inordinately pleased not to have been startled).

"Um fine."

"Really? You look a bit… peaky," she noted- wondering how often he fell ill, surely it had only been a month since he was last sick!

"I must be coming down with something, I get sick a lot, it runs in my family, Mum gets sick all the time too," he tried to play down his illness.

"That doesn't sound like much fun." Noticing he was uncomfortable Lily changed the topic. " Have you done the astronomy chart yet? I'm struggling a little to make it match the months."

Acknowledging that he still needed to work on his he sat down and they worked together.

"Well that is me all up to date," she said. "Tomorrow I can just read for fun," she revelled in the thought.

"I thought Snape would have been with you?" Remus asked looking up from his work.

"He was here earlier but he is being tutored on some more new spells so he can stay ahead in classes. He's going to teach them to me after he masters them though. If there is anything good I can show you too once I get them," she offered.

"Sure that would be great. He didn't mention anything else?"

"No," Sensing a purpose behind his line of questioning she asked "Why? I know you warned me about Malfoy but you aren't usually so curious about what Sev is up to."

"Well we heard a rumour that some of the Slytherins are up to something _dark_ ," noticing her look of confusion he explained, "very bad, and you said he had been hanging out with Malfoy who is sure to be up to his eyeballs in it, and I was just checking that, you know, you weren't involved." Remus began packing up.

Lily looked horrified "Heavens no, I can't imagine Sev would be either."

They packed up their books and made their way back to the common room, saying goodnight before they parted at the bottom of the stairs and headed to their respective dormitories.

"Well she knows nothing," Remus said as he entered the room.

James laughed "Well I could have told you that."

Remus gave him a disgusted look "Not what I meant. He told her the older guys were going to teach him some new spells and he'll teach them to her after that and she bought it. But I was watching, and he left at the right time to be at that meeting."

"She's a Muggleborn," said Peter "Would she even know a dark spell if she saw one? Or what dark magic is?"

"Not at all," Remus agreed, "I had to tell her that dark spells were bad, and she is terribly naïve when it comes to Snape, so she wouldn't interpret anything he does as being wrong. She did say she would show me whatever he teaches her though."

"It doesn't solve anything though, we still need to get to one of those meetings, or we need to get her to go and then to talk to us," three heads turned to look at Remus.

He shook his in response "As Pete said she's a Muggleborn. The pure blood fanatics aren't just going to say, come on in and have a cup of tea! Let's tell you about our evil plan."

They looked at each other and laughed at the thought of Severus and Lucius having a Tea party.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

Let it Snow.

A month later with the school holidays approaching the children of Hogwarts woke to an early smattering of snow. It melted in the morning sun and a chill wind blew across the grounds. Students huddled around the fires in the common rooms and Lily noticed that Remus had become ill once more.

"I'll be off to visit my Mum tomorrow, she's not well," he said as he exited the common.

The boys all nodded. Lily however followed him out of the portrait hole.

"You look like you are getting sick again too," she noted.

"Mmm a bit, must be the change in weather," he reluctantly admitted as an afterthought he added, "Hey, what ever happened with those spells Snape was going to teach you?"

"Oh, he hasn't mentioned it again. I'll ask him though. Well you be sure to rug up, and don't worry I'll take notes for you," she looked thoughtfully at him for a moment before turning and heading back through the portrait hole. Remus felt guilty for a minute, she was proving to be a good friend and he was lying to her. One simple thought washed the guilt away - how would she react if she ever knew the truth. His heart spasmed in his chest, she wouldn't want to come anywhere near a monster like him!

Later in the quiet of the night Lily sat on the window ledge in her dorm, listening to the deep soft breaths of the other girls. She looked out over the grounds, hoping for another fall of snow. The reflecting light of the moon in the lake caught her eye; the gibbous moon was one night away from being full.

The following afternoon Lily met with Severus in the library to study. "Are you going home for Christmas?" she asked.

"Nah," he replied trying to be nonchalant, Lily winced.

"No better at home?"

"No, worse if anything," he gave a one shouldered shrug. "They argue all the time now. When Dad is in one of his moods it's better if I'm not there, I just make it worse," he stated quietly looking forlorn.

"I'm sure your Mum appreciates it when you are home. It won't always be this way Sev. And you know you can always come over mine" She touched his arm to reassure him. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask," she said changing the topic. "The spell you've been learning, how is it going?"

"Mmm well enough I suppose, it's proving to be quite difficult," he kept his eyes on his work.

"What is it and we can look it up, maybe that will help if we find the theory on it?"

"It's called the Transmogrifian spell," he said a little uncomfortably. This was not going to go well.

"Well I'm done with my work, so I'll go and look it up, so what section?" Lily offered.

"Um I think jinxes but I'm not sure," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him, something wasn't right, but she couldn't tell what it was. If she had to guess she would say that he sounded guilty, but surely there was no reason for that was there? Pushing these thoughts aside she went off to look for books. The spell wasn't mentioned in any the books she could find that day, or on many subsequent trips to the library.

Classes the next day passed quickly and soon it was the weekend and Remus returned.

"Remus, how's your mum?" Lily greeted him with a smile as he entered the common room.

She was seated on the floor using one of the chairs as a table. He walked over and squatted on the floor beside her.

"You're still looking poorly, sit down properly and I'll get your notes." She grabbed his hand and pulled him down.

"She's much better thanks. Hang on I'll get some parchment and ink," he tried to resist the drag on his arm.

"No, it's ok I found a new spell, the Gemino curse it makes an exact copy so I already made copies for you, so long as you can read my writing it should be ok." Lily rifled through her bag and passed the copies to him.

"Wow you'll have to teach me that one, charms are really your thing, aren't they?" he complimented settling down beside her and started looking through the notes.

She grinned "Yeah I like them a lot."

Pulling charms to the front he began to read.

"Hey Remus?" she asked after a quiet moment.

"Yeah."

"I asked Sev about that spell, he hasn't managed it yet, but it's called the Transmogrifian spell, I tried to find it in the library, but I can't find anything on it. Have you heard of it before?"

"No, but I'll keep an eye out. Actually, maybe Sirius would know his family has used all sorts of spells. Are you worried about it?"

"Well a bit. He sounded funny when he mentioned it, sort of guilty, it's probably nothing," she admitted. "But I couldn't find it in any of our standard books of spells, I looked all the way up to book 7, and it's not in advanced charms. So, I couldn't help wondering, especially given what you said about Malfoy. I would hate for him to be getting mixed up in the something dark," she looked concerned.

"Don't worry about it, I'll help you find out, and if it's something dark, you can talk to him about it, ok," he reassured.

"Thanks. I'm going to head up to bed. See you tomorrow."

As soon as she was out of sight he grabbed the notes and raced up to his dorm. "Hi guys!" Remus said as he pushed the door open.

"Hey Remus, you're back. How's your Mum?" cried James.

"Sshe's all better; she just gets sick a lot, like me." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Before I left I spoke to Lily and she's found out which spell the Slytherins are working on."

"Evans has come through. What is it?" asked Sirius eagerly.

"I've never heard of it. It's called the Transmogrifian spell."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "No way! There's no way anyone of our year could perform that spell, it's seriously dark stuff!"

"What does it do?" asked Remus slightly shocked by the response.

"It's actually called the Transmogrifian torture. It's said to torture the victim over time and eventually leads to death. It's considered to be nearly as bad as the unforgivables, the only reason it isn't one is that it's treatable if you're quick enough," a quiet voice issued from the smallest boy.

The others all turned to look at Peter in shock.

"How did you know that?" asked James.

"Um, well my Dad was an Auror and that was the spell that killed him, he was out on assignment and didn't get back in time," he focused on his shoes as he spoke.

James, Remus and Sirius continued to stare.

"Sorry, I…we ..didn't know," James stammered "My Aunt and Uncle are Aurors too."

"It's ok it happened when I was five. I don't remember much about it," whatever was on his shoes kept Peter's attention.

"If you're up to it, you might be the best one to discuss it with Evans," suggested James as gently as an eleven-year old boy could.

"I guess I could try," the blonde shrugged.

The boys chatted quietly as they prepared for bed and it wasn't long until gentle snores were heard throughout the dormitory.

The next week passed in a flurry of excitement over the holidays and soon all who were going home were once again on board the Hogwarts express. Peter had not yet built up the courage to talk to Lily about the spell.

Lily took a compartment by herself and pulled out a copy of Hogwarts a History to help pass the time. She was dozing gently leaning against the window when the train finally pulled into Kings Cross station.

Mr and Mrs Evans were waiting for her outside the platform, her sister Petunia was nowhere in sight.

"Didn't Tuney want to come?" Lily was unable keep the disappointment from bleeding into her voice.

"No dear, she's old enough to stay home by herself for a bit now, and she had some studying to do. Now we have a little surprise for you at home," said her Father trying to appear mysterious.

"Really! What is it?"

"You remember we wrote that Nanna Anne hasn't been well? The Doctor said she shouldn't be living alone anymore. So, we've turned the snug into a downstairs bedroom," Mrs Evans was unable to keep the secret.

"But Mum the bathroom is upstairs! With how her knees are she'll never get be able to get there!"

"We know dear but Nanna Anne managed to sell her house for a reasonable price, so she gave us some money to add a little extension out the back, it meant we could make the room bit bigger, add a bathroom and conservatory so she can have a little space for herself."

"Oh I see. Is there any garden left?" Lily wanted to know. "I'll miss your roses Mum."

"Don't worry not all the lawn has gone, and we managed to keep the big tree you like to climb. You can help me plant out a new garden when you're home from school this Summer."

They passed the rest of the journey happily discussing the first term. Petunia was waiting on the front porch when they arrived home and for a moment Lily thought she was waiting to see her.

"Hi Tuney," Lily called cheerfully, hoping her sister wasn't going to be in the same mood she had been in when she'd left.

"Humf," huffed Petunia. "Mum, Nanna Anne needs you," message delivered, the tall thin girl turned on her heel and marched back into the house. Mrs Evans sighed looking sadly at her youngest.

"I'm sorry poppet, but she seems to feel a bit put out by the whole magic thing."

"It's ok Mum, I'm sure she'll come around eventually," Lily entered the house and inhaled the clean fresh scent of the handmade soap that Nanna Anne always used.

2 days passed and then a week and Petunia still hadn't come around. When Lily tried to talk to her she was ignored. Lily had taken to spending her days sitting in the branches of her favourite tree in back yard. When the girls had argued in the past Lily would climb it and wish to be unseen, it seemed to work. She remembered one year when she was about 6, Petunia had called her _stupid_ because she'd asked Tuney to read her a story as she didn't know all the words yet. Lily had run from the house and flown up into the branches of the tree and desperately wishing to be invisible. It must have worked as the family searched for her for hours coming into the garden several times, until Petunia came outside crying and apologising and Lily had climbed down, visible once more.

As she sat watching the snow fall, she remembered the previous summers spent in the garden, playing with Sev or Kathy after school. _Kathy!_ Only 3 months had passed, how could she have forgotten her best friend?

"Mum," she called as she ran into the house, "Mum can I go visit Kathy?"

"Sure poppet, come home in time for tea."

"Yes!" she gave an excited cheer as took off up the street to knock on her friend's door.

A boy she recognised as Kathy's older brother, Christian, answered the door. He let her into the house and showed her to Kathy's room. The rest of the holidays were spent in joyful reunion and Christmas spirit. She left with promises of writing regularly this term and not being a stranger when she came home for the summer.

Snow had continued to fall in the student's absence and the grounds of Hogwarts were covered in a pleasant blanket of white. It was not so deep as to make walking unbearable but was deep enough to require wellies. Lily trudged through it towards the gamekeeper's hut to deliver a present to Hagrid.

"Hagrid," she smiled as he opened the door to her knock. "How was your Christmas?"

"It were loverly thank you. And how was yours?" The gentle giant passed her a cup of tea.

"Well apart from my Sister it was lovely too. Oh and before I forget, my Nanna Anne came to live with us and she loved hearing me talk about you, so she sent you this scarf that she knitted in case you get cold. I insisted on the Gryffindor colours." Lily passed over the brightly wrapped package.

"Well that's mighty kind, when you write next, don't forget to send me thanks." Hagrid pulled the scarf free from its paper and wrapped it loosely round his neck. "Now what's wrong with yer Sister?"

"Well she still doesn't like that I can do magic," Lily's face fell, "she calls me a freak, and tells me I am abnormal, and that it is safer for everyone if I just stay away. She won't even look at me anymore and can barely stand to be in the same room as me."

"She sounds like a regular Slytherin," he chuckled. "Well you can't please 'em all. She should come 'round once she gets used to the idea. Magics dead useful. I bet you got a lot of gifts for Christmas."

"Well the usual chocolates and sweets and such," Lily shrugged. "We don't have much money. Sev gave me an amazing book on charms that was once his grandfathers and Remus gave me a beautiful eagle feather quill. What did you do?"

"Well I still had ta oversee the animals in the forest. Those centaurs got a little riled, somethin' about an asteroid, blocking the light of Saturn or summat, and I had to tend a little unicorn that got injured running about."

"Oh Hagrid, will you take me to see the unicorns one day, please?" the girl was practically vibrating with excitement.

He chuckled, "Now Lily ya know it's forbidden. When you start Care of Magical Creatures in third year, yer can see 'em then." Hagrid looked down at the disappointment written all over her face and found himself giving in "Well not today I've work ta do, but maybe I can take you when I have ta go in there ta work."

"Would you really, I'd love that. I guess I'd best head back to the castle now." He stood and led her to the door.

"See yer next week Lily," he said as she ducked through and he closed the door so he could return to his work.

As usual Lily's feet took her to _her_ tree on the edge of the forest and she imagined watching unicorns and centaurs run past through the trees. She sighed as she jumped down and trudged back up through the snow. It wasn't long before she was passing through the wide double doors that gave entrance to the castle and continued making her way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Four boys sitting in chairs by the fire watched as she walked up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Peter, you need to do it soon," James whispered.

"I can't! I don't know what to say, but I have an idea, let's send her a note anonymously?" he looked at the other boys nervously.

"Knowing Lily she won't believe a random note" Remus stated, "she'll need some hard evidence."

"Well what if we can find a book with it in and send her that?" Peter tried.

"But she's searched the library already and not found anything about it."

"Yeah but I meant I could get one of Dad's old books from home, I'll owl Mum today," finally seeing the other boys nodding in agreement Peter began to relax.

With the plan formulated the group headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.

At breakfast the next day Peter received reply from his mother stating that she would look for the book he'd requested. Now all they could do was wait.

During their usual study session that week, Severus began to teach Lily the wand movement for the Transmogrifian spell. The movement was complex and each night after a short time practicing Lily would develop a headache and have to depart the library. When Severus started to teach her the incantation she'd felt unsettled, the spell resonated deep in her chest and she'd developed a feeling of dread, something wasn't right with this spell. She was sure it was the reason that she went back to the common room each evening feeling ill and she mentioned this to Remus.

"It's the weirdest thing, it's like I have a physical reaction to the spell, I come over all dizzy and sick in the tummy. I'm not sure I like it."

"If it bothers you don't do it," Remus urged, "Have you told Snape how it makes you feel?"

Lily had tried many times, but it was hard when Severus insisted that it was supposed to be a useful spell and that he was sure it would be examined in one of their later years. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, neither one of them had much success with it. Severus managed to get his wand to emit a red glow, while Lily's had no response what so ever.

One morning towards the end of February at breakfast an owl delivered a small package to Lily. The card attached read:

 _Lily,_

 _I thought you might find this useful for your research._

 _All the best._

There was no signature and she did not recognise the writing. When she opened the parcel, she found a small leather-bound book, it was well worn and many of the pages were dog eared. She flipped it over to look at the title: _Curses and their cures for overcoming thy adversary by Envira Green (Defeat your enemies and defend your friends),_ and tucking the book inside her robes to read later she headed off to class. At lunchtime Lily headed out to the grounds instead of going the Great Hall. She climbed into the beech tree near the lake, brushing the previous night's snow from its branches to sit down and read. Flicking through the book she found the correct page, it was near the back of the book where each page seemed to hold progressively more horrible spells. There was a very small paragraph:

 _Transmogrifian Torture: tortures the victim over time to the point of death!_

Lily looked up in shock, there had to be some mistake. This could NOT be what she had been practicing with Sev. She carefully looked over the instructions for the wand movements and the pronunciation of the incantation, there could be no doubt it was the same. How could he? She wondered, if they had tricked him? Did he even know what it did? No! Surely not, there was some mistake. She decided she would have to talk to him that night.

Remus watched Lily as she walked through the entrance hall on the way to class, she looked pale and there was a furrow in her brow.

"She's read it," he whispered to the others "and she doesn't look happy."

"Good!" James said vindictively "This should mean she's no longer friends with that snake."

The boys gathered their things and followed Lily to class.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

First Fights and More Pranks

It was a week before Lily could discuss the matter with Severus. She waited until they were seated in the Library for their usual Friday night study session. She wondered how to broach the subject and decided that the direct approach would be best.

"Sev?" she put down her quill and waited for his response.

"Yes Petal."

"Um that spell you were teaching me?"

"Yes," he finally looked up and noticed she was hesitant and pale.

"Um, well, I found out what it does," she twisted her fingers together as she leaned towards him.

"Oh?" he said trying to appear nonchalant, though he had turned a little paler.

"Yes, didn't they tell you what it does?" she desperately wanted to believe that he didn't know. "It's a curse that tortures the victims to death!" That she had even tried to produce the incantation clearly horrified her.

Severus quickly shook his head "Oh no, I didn't…. I wouldn't…!" he denied far too quickly as his mind whirred trying to concoct a reasonable excuse.

"You shouldn't be practicing it! Why are they trying to get you learn such a horrid thing?" her tone was sharp, she found his hasty repudiation suspicious.

"I'm sure it's just for our education, not to be used on anyone," he said in attempt at placating her. "They wouldn't do that I am sure," he tried to make his voice sound firm and reassuring.

Lily wanted to believe the best of him, she really did. "I think they're tricking you Sev and trying to lead you down a dark path." He was her best friend; surely he would listen to her concerns. "I'm not going to practice it anymore, I can't! It feels….. wrong, ….dark, it's bad, I'm sure of it."

"Just practicing it won't make you dark. It might make you stronger!" he insisted.

"No Sev, just no!" Her eyes glowed with an angry fire, "You need to stop it Sev!"

"I'm just a first year, I can't make them stop, I'm not sure I want to stop it anyway, it makes me feel strong, like…like I could take on my Dad," he stuck out his chin defiantly, Lily might be his best friend but she had no right to try and tell him what to do.

"Oh Sev, you're already strong, you don't need dark magic." Though her stance didn't soften her tone did. She knew he how often he had felt powerless and afraid in the face of his father's rages.

"No I want to do this Lily," his face was determined. "And you can't stop me!"

Her green eyes closed in disappointment. "I'm sorry Sev, but, I can't be around you right now. If you can't see how bad that spell is….it's your choice."

She packed up her books and swiftly departed. As Severus watched her go, he thought- she'd come back, she'd have to, she needed the opportunity too _._

It didn't take long for Lily to realise just how lonely life could be without Sev. The only one who would talk to her was Remus. The girls from her dormitory had paired up as best friends and, guided by the charismatic James and Sirius, excluded her from conversation, making the dormitory an unwelcoming place. Gideon, Doc and Fabian were all busy.

Back to being the freak- she thought glumly as she sat by herself in the library. It had been a week since the confrontation with her best friend. She had arranged to meet Remus out of sight of the other Gryffindors so they could work on their astronomy assignment. They had to correlate the following nights full moon with the position of the stars. Lily sighed, she may as well get working while she waited. With a sigh she flicked open the text in front of her and unrolled her parchment. By the time Remus arrived she was fully engrossed in her task. As he approached she looked up and noted that he was pale again with dark circles under his eyes.

"Getting sick again?" she enquired.

"Yeah I guess," he shrugged one shoulder and gave a sniff.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Nah I'll be ok."

"I talked to Sev the other day, about that curse, he said that he didn't know what it was."

"And you believed him?" Remus' eyebrows made a lurch towards his hairline.

"Well…..he has never lied to me before," she defended, deliberately ignoring the fact that he had indeed lied to her, still wanting to believe her friend.

"What else did he say, that practicing it will make him more powerful and he won't actually use it. And I suppose you believed that too!" His tone was harsh and accusatory, why wouldn't she come to her senses, "Why do you believe him?"

She snapped "Why are you being so mean? I want to believe him because he's my friend. I did tell him that I want no more to do with it, that I think it's wrong, and that he should stop it, but….I think he wants new friends more than he wants to listen to me," her lip trembled. "He hasn't even spoken to me since."

Remus looked into her eyes and suddenly understood. Just like him she hadn't had a lot of friends, if any, before so she was dreadfully afraid of losing Severus' friendship. She was devastated that they had disagreed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to get angry at you, I'm just not feeling well. I think I'll just finish the assignment and then head back to the common room," he tried to justify his actions.

Her voice softened and some of the hardness left her eyes, "It's ok. Shall I get some pepper up potion from Madam Pomfrey for you?" He wondered if she would still be so kind if she knew the cause of his ill health.

"No, it's ok, I'll stop by there on the way to the common room," he assured her.

Remus pretended not to notice the way Lily glanced consideringly at him whenever his head was turned away. Clearly something was bothering her, but until she spoke of it there wasn't anything he could do. As Lily was so distracted Remus completed his essay first and bid her farewell before exiting the library. Knowing that there was nothing Madam Pomphrey could do to help him feel any better Remus went in search of his friends. Early that day they had been talking about pranking Apollyon Pringle the caretaker, by lacing his portrait cleaning brush with rainbow coloured permanent ink so he headed off towards the cleaning supplies cupboard on the second floor.

As soon as Remus left Lily rose from her seat and headed to the shelves. Finding a book on magical maladies', she started researching: a boy who fell ill, became covered in scratches and was grumpy for every full moon, and a day on either side. There had to be a connection. She thought she knew what it was, but she had to be sure, and the book provided the answers. The only question was what should she do about it? On past experience he would disappear tonight or possibly tomorrow morning and return the afternoon of the following day. Lily had grown up in a muggle household, so it never occurred to her that she ought to be frightened of him. With the full moon tomorrow, now was not the time to confront him, but that didn't mean she couldn't do anything. She smiled as she considered the situation and packed away her things, she was pleased with the plan she had in mind.

After setting up the prank on the caretaker Remus, James, Sirius and Peter headed back to their dormitory and flung themselves onto their beds.

"I talked to Lily today about Severus," Remus cut through the excited chatter.

The other boys fell silent.

"It seems she's inclined to believe that he is only using it to progress his skills and has no intention of using it."

"What the Hell!" James exclaimed sitting up abruptly.

"Well think about it," Remus went on reasonably "She doesn't know about Andy overhearing their plan. He's pretty much her only friend here apart from me, she doesn't want to lose him, and I get the feeling she always believes the best of people."

"Yeah well with James and I being the exception," Sirius was indignant.

"Mate you made her appear pretty much naked in front of the whole school, she's so shy that she normally doesn't speak! I think you brought that on yourselves."

"It was funny though," chuckled James.

"Not for her, I am pretty sure she felt humiliated!"

"Still that's no reason for her to learn how to kill people."

"She's not, she told him she won't do…."

"Gentlemen," Sirius spoke over the top of Remus, "I think they need another prank to teach them a lesson!"

"I second that," called Peter.

"I agree," cried James.

Remus sighed and shook his head "Prank Severus…"

"Snivellus," put in James

"Fine," the blonde huffed, "Prank Snivellus only! Not Lily."

"Evans will get what's coming to her, but in deference to you Remus, we'll make hers in the common room, and Snivellus' can be in front of the school. Deal?"

Remus could feel this was a defining moment in their friendship, he could deny them now and be forever the outsider or he could join them and have friends for life or at least till they discovered his secret. He liked Lily he really did, but he needed mates too. A prank in the common room, surely it couldn't be that bad, and if he hung back, she would over look his involvement. He looked at their eager faces.

"Well?" Sirius demanded.

Remus decided "Well, I'm in, just go easy on Lily she's my friend too."

"You won't need her now that you've got us."

"Oh I should let you guys know, my Mum's sick again so I'll be heading home tomorrow morning," Remus said half hoping they would execute their pranks in his absence.

"That's a shame, hope she's better soon, we'll wait for you get back. It'll give us more time for planning."

The day after the full moon Remus was surprised to see a chocolate frog lying on the table beside him in the hospital wing, on it rested a bird folded out of paper so thin that the wings were transparent. If he had looked at the underside of the body, he would have seen a small L written in pale gold ink.

Lily had decided that she didn't need to confront Remus, it was his secret to tell after all, but that didn't mean she couldn't try and find a way to make him feel better. What better way than a gift of chocolate at least in the muggle world, chocolate made everything better.

The boys had decided that they would prank Lily first. They asked Mary MacDonald to shake a can of Zonko's All Itch powder over her bed and in her trunk, and she was only too happy to oblige. It would be hilarious to watch as the ever-composed Lily Evans scratched and fidgeted all day.

There were some ways in which the wizarding world was far behind the muggle, and one of those was in the understanding of allergies. They assumed that most magical components they were relatively harmless. However, muggles had long since realised that a substance that was harmless to one person could cause an anaphylactic reaction to others. Itching powder was designed to irritate the skin and most unfortunately with her fair sensitive skin Lily was allergic to one of the components.

That night when Lily fell into an exhausted sleep the powder began to attack her skin. She scratched feverishly in her sleep, by morning the effects were evident. Her skin was red, blistered and sore and even though her hair had provided some protection for her face her lips and eyes were nearly swollen shut from the reaction. The other girls in the dorm were horrified at her appearance. Mary who hadn't told the others what she had done herself was feeling a twinge of guilt as she witnessed the consequences of her actions.

It wasn't itchy skin that woke Lily the next morning it was a soreness that felt like her entire skin had been scraped over with a blade and a tightness in her chest. The water in the shower stung but did make her feel a little better at least until she put on her uniform and the reaction was renewed. She made it down the stairs to the common room before she collapsed. James, Sirius, Peter and Remus were sitting on the lounges and watched as Lily entered and promptly fainted. Remus ran over to her too late to stop her head hitting the ground, as the others began to laugh.

"She looks like a cooked lobster!" guffawed Peter.

"She looks like she is dying," a firm voice echoed down the stairwell "What the hell did you boys do?" Kingsley Shaklebolt the sixth year prefect came down the stairs and scooped Lily up into his arms. "I'll take her to the Madam Pomfrey, you boys get to class and that'll be five points each," he growled in disgust.

The boys ignored the prefect's words and continued to laugh about it through lessons. They laughed even more when Lily did not show up to classes the next day as well. However by the second day Shaklebolt's words wormed their way into Remus' consciousness. Feeling somewhat guilty he snuck away at lunch time to check on Lily. She smiled through her split and swollen lips as he approached her bed.

"Well you look a bit better then yesterday." He noted her voice had a wheezing quality to her breathing when she replied.

"Apparently someone put wizard itching powder in my sheets and clothes and I'm allergic. The poor house elves have had to clean all of my things," she stared at Remus' guilty expression. " Do you know something about this?"

"I'm sorry Lily, the boys came up with it, they got Mary to sprinkle it on your bed and in your trunk," he looked at the floor. "They thought it would be a laugh. We didn't know you would react like that. They just thought that you'd get a bit itchy…"

Lily looked at him thoughtfully before she spoke "Remus, I know they think that I shouldn't be friends with Sev, but you and Sev are all I've got. In the dorm Alison and Louisa, Sarah and Mary, their best friends. There's no room for me, not to mention that Sirius and James have convinced them not to talk to me. I know we aren't agreeing at the moment, but I won't give Sev up just because those spoilt prats prank me. I know they're your room mates and you have to get along with them, but quite frankly they're just mean. Last week they used a tripping jinx on Lexi Turpin for no reason. She is the sweetest little Hufflepuff and wouldn't hurt a fly. Like I was trying to tell Sev, you need to be careful and not let them drag you into things just because you think it'll mean they'll stay friends with you." She glanced at him solemnly "You know I nearly died, don't you? By the time Kingsley got me here, I 'd stopped breathing."

He looked up at her for the first time, his face pale. "I'm sorry."

"Well, to make it up to me the least you can do is let me borrow your notes."

"Sure. I'll do that."

"How was your Mum?"

"She's getting better."

They spent the next few minutes discussing the classes Lily had missed before Remus had to return for the afternoon sessions.

He met up with the other boys who questioned why he had missed lunch.

"I just went to see Lily," he confessed.

"Suck up" Sirius scoffed.

"Well I felt responsible; because of us she nearly died!" Remus hissed.

"Nearly died! As if! From a little itching powder, she's having you on!" James scoffed.

"Do you think I can't tell when someone is sick! She stopped breathing! Apparently, she's allergic to something in the powder, her lips are swollen, she's still wheezing and she won't be allowed out of Madam Pomfrey's sight until she can breathe properly."

A look of abashment briefly crossed James' face at this statement, he didn't mind embarrassing someone but hurting them was another matter. He knew his Mother wouldn't be pleased if she ever found out.

"Now what are we going to do to Snivellus?" came Sirius' unashamed comment.

"How about we cast Tarantallegra on him and make him dance on the table in the great hall."

"Or all the way to class?"

"Or we could cast cantis and a spell to make him reveal who he loves at the same time, so he sings it to the great hall!"

"That sounds a bit complicated."

"Well let's look it up, we can always practice cantis first and then see."

They had gathered in the dormitory after class and clustered around the book of jinxes.

"Here is one, dicere amica- the target reveals the one that is their hearts desire!"

"So instead of Dicere which means to speak we want cantis to sing, so we should try cantis amica."

"First of all, anyone in here in Luuuurve with anyone," Sirius and puckered his lips making exaggerated kissing nosies. The others burst out laughing.

"So how are we going to try this out?"

"Let's see if we can borrow one of the girls, I'm sure Mary will do it, she has a crush on Diggory!"

The boys traipsed out of the room in search of Mary.

The pranking of Severus Snape took place at breakfast the next morning. Lily had just been released from the hospital wing and was walking into the Great Hall when she saw Severus climb onto the table, foot on either side of a fruit bowl, he took a deep breath and began comparing her hair to a fiery sunset, her eyes to emeralds and her skin to the softest silk.. She immediately pointed her wand at him.

"Finite Incantatem!" he stopped and looking somewhat relieved climbed off the table. He hid his red face behind his greasy hair as he rushed from the hall.

Lily stormed over to where the four first year boys were practically wetting themselves with laughter.

"You ought to know better!" she spat at Remus. "And YOU lot are a bunch of bullies!" She turned on her heel and headed over to sit near the Prewett's at the end of the table with a huff.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

The Plan.

The prank on Severus only reinforced the division between the Gryffindor boys and Lily. Lily glared at Sirius and James whenever she saw them, and they sent tripping jinxes her way at every opportunity. She no longer talked to Remus or Peter when she saw them in the library. Though this division did not stop her from levitating a Chocolate frog and folded paper bird to Remus' bedside table when he was in the hospital the morning after the next full moon (he assumed they came from Madam Pomfrey).

A shout rang through the corridor "Hey Guys!"

James ran quickly to catch up to Sirius, Remus and Peter, "What are we going to do today?" he asked running a hand through his hair.

"Well how about we take a walk in the forbidden forest, prank someone and eat," Sirius rubbed his stomach in anticipation.

"Yep there should be lots of eating!" Peter agreed.

"Gentleman, we have a plan."

The four boys swaggered out of the castle and down passed the lake, heading towards the forest. As they came up to the Gamekeepers Hut they noticed the door had been left ajar to admit the breeze. Inside Lily was talking to Hagrid.

"Wonder what she's doing in there," James said craning his neck to try and see through the gap in the door.

"Having a chat with Hagrid at a guess, it's not like anyone else would talk to her," chuckled Sirius.

Remus looked guiltily down at his feet as he asked "Do you think perhaps we've taken it too far? We made it so she has no friends."

"Nah, the girl's a nightmare," scoffed James. "She's a _know it all_ in class and she dobs us in at every opportunity."

Remus bit his lip.

"and anyway, you still talk to her."

"When has she ever dobbed us in?" Remus protested. "We haven't spoken in ages and I'm not really that close a friend."

"Well she should know not to be friends with a Slytherin. Look at what they're trying to do to Sirius, we're just protecting our mate!" James deflected his friend and tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Hey look," Peter pointed at the lake, where a boy with brown hair was wandering by himself.

"It's Bertram Aubery, I think we've just found today's _victim_ ," Sirius said with relish, rubbing his hands together. "I've been reading up on a spell I want to try."

"If we sneak through the forest and come out near the beech tree, we'll have some cover," Peter indicated to the where an outcrop of trees from the forest jutted out onto the lawns towards their favourite resting place.

The boys slipped through the forest and watched Bertrum from behind the tree. He had a book in one hand and was practicing wand movements with the other.

"Typical Ravenclaw! Perfect for this spell," Sirius whispered. "It's supposed to make your head grow bigger, Engorgio Skullus," and he demonstrated the wand action.

Sirius stepped out from behind the tree and pointed his wand, just as Bertram turned around and glanced up. The book fell to the ground as he pointed his wand and he yelled "Expelliarmus!"

Sirius swore as his wand went spinning from his hand.

James who had been blocked from view ran to Sirius' side "Engorgio Skullus."

The spell hit Bertram right on his nose, and his head began to swell. The boy groaned in pain. In less than a minute the weight of his head could no longer be supported by his neck and he fell to the ground. A red-haired figure came flying out of the Gamekeepers hut and fell to her knees by his side.

"Hagrid, quick!" Lily called.

Hagrid ran from his Hut, scooped the boy up and hurried off towards the Hospital wing. As Hagrid disappeared, Lily rounded on the boys.

"What the heck were you thinking?" her eyes flashed in anger.

"What we were thinking is none of your business Evans, so if you don't want to end up in the same condition I suggest you butt out of it!" countered Sirius as he collected his wand. He turned to face the other boys "See Remus, she's insufferable. She can't even take a little joke!"

"He was in agony and that's what you call a _little_ joke!" Lily was rendered speechless, deciding against continuing the developing argument she followed Hagrid instead. Remus watched as Lily stormed off towards the castle and couldn't help thinking that she might have had a point.

When they made it back to the castle Professor McGonagall gave Sirius and James double detentions for the prank and they turned to glare at Remus.

"See she dobbed us in!" they complained.

"You don't think it might have been Hagrid or Madam Pomfrey?" he tried but they weren't having a bar of it.

A further two weeks had passed following Lily and Severus' disagreement in the library. Severus was trying to wait patiently for Lily to realise her mistake and to come and apologise to him. Lily however was hurt that Severus had ceased talking to her and was unaware that he was awaiting an apology. She still went to the library to do her homework every afternoon hoping Severus would join her and each day she went away disappointed when he failed to arrive.

Another Saturday had come and gone, and Severus was beginning to feel lonely. There was a hole where he could feel something was missing from his life, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, surely it wasn't just Lily's presence. He made his way to the Great Hall for lunch and caught a glimpse of Lily's hair as she made her way out of the castle and across the lawns. He followed and watched as she walked across the grounds, arms wrapped around herself, shrouded in the solitude. She made her way to the Gamekeeper's hut and Severus was shocked when she knocked on the door. He was even more surprised when Hagrid admitted her to his house. What could she be doing? He wasn't aware she knew the man. Peering through the window Severus observed the pair drinking tea and talking quietly, he noted Lily's miserable expression and for a moment hoped it meant that she was finally coming to her senses. He pressed his ear to the glass of the window in hopes of overhearing their conversation.

"I'm worried Hagrid, I know the spell he is learning is dark. I've heard that dark spells are addictive and ensnare the soul. I'm scared Severus won't see how bad it is before he's lost to it. I can't bear to lose him! He's my only friend."

"Well, you can't make decisions fer other people. He has to decide fer himself."

"But," she tried to interject.

"No buts, he has to decide how he wants his life to go. An' you need to know, if it goes wrong, it ain't yer fault. You tried talkin' to him."

"Should I try again, it's been three weeks and I miss him," she sounded like she was going to cry. Hagrid took a large slurp of tea.

Severus swallowed around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Lily missed him, she was worried about him, she cared about him. As these thoughts raced their way through Severus' mind he realised what he'd been missing. It was Lily! She was his light, his hope, his escape. He thought carefully about how he was going to proceed, he couldn't give up Malfoy's lessons, the chance to pay the Gryffindor boys back for their transgressions was to good an opportunity to miss. Maybe if Lily saw the other side of them she wouldn't be so worried about a few little spells. Still, he now knew he had to fix things with Lily. He would apologise but would keep his darker activities from her, it would be easy to do under the guise of studying.

The next day Severus made his way to the library after classes. Lily was sitting at her usual desk surrounded by a pile of books.

"Hi Petal," his voice quavered.

"Sev….uh…hi..," she hesitated "Can I help you?" it was an oddly formal reply and he cringed.

"Um, I wanted…I just wanted to say I'm sorry," he gave a little smile, she didn't look angry, so he continued. "I um, thought about what you said, and I know you're only worried, and I promise that I won't continue with that spell. I won't do it again."

His eyes raised to meet hers hopefully, her features blended into a smile as she stood up quickly, so she could wrap her arms around him.

"Oh Sev," she sighed happily. "Did you want to write that transfiguration essay?" and just like that their argument was forgotten.

"I only have a little while as I am helping Mulciber with his homework."

"Sure," her smile was his reward for his lie.

After leaving Lily half an hour later, Severus walked the now familiar path to the dungeons. There a small group had once again gathered around Lucius Malfoy.

"Mulciber you are the best at the spell, so you will hide behind a suit of armour near the Great Hall. One of us will then initiate a duel between Sirius and a student of our choosing, in the midst of which you will fire the curse at our victim and then vacate the area, joining me in the Great Hall. I will provide your alibi, saying you were in the hall with me for lunch."

"So just who will be the fortunate soul we test the curse on," purred Narcissa.

"I thought the Mudblood, Evans that they all hate so very much."

"You won't get her to duel," Severus stated as he approached the group, he needed to ensure she was safe and wouldn't witness his involvement. "Fighting isn't in her nature, Aubery or Gudgeon, might do, they've been on the receiving end of Black and Potter's pranks and have been seen to throw jinxes in retaliation."

"What is their status? A Mudblood would provide a valuable lesson."

"I'm unsure."

"Well find out!" Malfoy snapped.

As the group dispersed Andromeda raised her head from the couch she had been lying on and quickly made her way to her dorm to retrieve a piece of parchment. A short time later one of the school's barn owls tapped on the window of the Gryffindor boy's dormitory.

"Will someone stop that ruddy tapping!" Remus grumbled, his face buried in a text book.

Peter moved to the window, and relieved the bird of its burden, patting it briefly before it flew back to the owlery. He glanced at the name emblazoned on the front. "It's for you Sirius," he held out the parchment.

The boy in question sat up from where he had been lying crosswise on his bed, staring at the pictures in a Quidditch magazine. He grabbed the letter from Peter, scanning it quickly.

"Hey it's from Andy!" the mood in the room changed immediately. The four boys mulled over the meaning of the letter.

"It's a pity she couldn't find out when it's going to happen," mused Remus who was playing with a translucent paper bird, charming it to fly.

"We should try to talk to Davy and Bert and make them aware of this too," James looked at the letter over Sirius' shoulder.

"Mmm, even though they don't like us, they won't want to get caught up in this," Sirius agreed. "What if they change their target?"

"Simple, we don't duel anyone no matter what," Remus suggested. "Do you all agree?"

The three other boys responded in the affirmative.

It took a few days and some rigorous negotiation but the first year Gryffindor boys came to a peaceful agreement with Davy and Bert. Days passed and then weeks and still the Slytherin's plan hadn't been activated, eventually worry over an eminent attack faded.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12.

A Good Little Slytherin?

Weaving through the students in the hallway, Severus made his way back to his common room. He had finally uncovered the information that Malfoy had demanded, and he needed to share the news. Lucius was starting to get tetchy about the lack of progress and was making everyone's lives miserable. Severus stopped facing a stone wall, muttered the password and the wall slid open to reveal the passageway into the common room. A quick glance around the room failed to reveal the pale figure he was seeking. However, Avery and Nott were lounging on low backed green armchairs in one corner of the room. They glanced up as he approached.

"No luck then?" said Nott in a superior voice, assuming that Severus had failed his task.

It was always like this; the constant jockeying for position. The vying to be the king of their age group, to be the one accepted into the leadership circle of the house. After all, Lucius would only bring the best of the best to the attention his Father. If they were deemed good enough Abraxas might give them his support to enter upper echelons of wizarding society, not to mention the circle of the emerging Lord. It was inclusion in the later that the boy sought, to be included in something greater than himself which would nullify his pathetic upbringing. It wasn't as if Severus had never been accepted before, after all Lily had always included him, never judging his past, but he wanted something more and this new group that Abraxas was a part of promised power.

Severus drew himself up haughtily and giving his best impression of Lucius said, "My information isn't for your ears."

"You don't have none! Worse than a squib you are, hanging round that Mudblood," Avery sneered, "You've no shame."

"Who I hang round with is none of your business," Severus replied coldly.

A voice drawled from behind him "Ah, but young Severus, in time it may. This dalliance is all well and good, but it will soon become a hindrance and will need to be cut short," the words were clipped.

Severus turned to face the taller boy. "I have discovered the information on Aubery and Gudgeon," Severus uttered without further preamble.

"Well, then do tell," Malfoy arched one eyebrow in a show of interest.

"Both are second generation half-bloods, with muggles for one set of Grandparents but witch and wizard for parents."

"And how did you come by this information?" Lucius asked.

"I was in the library and overheard them, swapping family histories as they did their homework."

"Hmmm, well they are certainly not the targets we are looking for. However, you shall cast the curse instead of Mulciber, think of it as a reward for your investigative efforts." Mulciber hissed with annoyance while Severus could barely contain his groan.

It wasn't what he really wanted to do. He knew Lily wouldn't approve of him cursing someone and he didn't want to push his only true friend away, if he didn't cast it he could still plead ignorance. However if he wanted to stay in the blonde's good graces then he had no option but to agree to Lucius' command. To add further incentive, he was sure his own Mother would approve, ever since his magic had manifested, she had started to make contact with the world of magic again. Eileen had been meeting with friends of her Father's and had heard the rumours. Rumours about a Dark Lord that his Mother had then whispered to him. Rumours that _might_ link back to Lucius. Things were going to change, wizards were going to be in charge, the Muggles would pay for their arrogance. Muggles like his Father would be 'dealt with'. Severus would have to choose a side. His mind immediately thought of Petunia and his father, he wouldn't mind them paying, and it was this thought more than any other that led him to nod his head ever so slightly.

"A Mudblood is still the best target," Lucius mused.

"How about Lexi Turpin?" offered Nott. "She's in our year and I heard her commenting that she doesn't know a Chimera from a Sphynx. That screams Mudblood to me!"

"What other information do you have?" Lucius turned his cold eyes to Nott.

"Blonde, Hufflepuff, quiet, often jinxed by Potter's crowd."

"Perfect," Malfoy grinned broadly. "We have our….target. I'll advise you further when the plan is fully formed."

The 3 boys surrounding him nodded and headed to their dormitory. Checking the time Severus, picked up his transfiguration book. There was an hour before dinner, he could at least start the latest essay.

Meanwhile out on the grounds one Slytherin had escaped from the stifling confines of the dungeons. After pleading a 'need for fresh air' she had left her sister behind and was now walking towards the forbidden forest. As she made her way out of the castle, Andromeda had spied a friendly face emerging from a nearby stairwell. She had given the boy a shy smile as she passed in hopes that he would follow. The dark-haired girl knew a spot that was secluded enough to not be seen from the castle while open enough that no-one could sneak up on her without her knowledge. A spot where a Slytherin could meet with a Hufflepuff without being observed. A handsome, wavy haired Hufflepuff. A kind and unimaginably sweet, chocolate eyed Hufflepuff. A Hufflepuff like…

"You're a long way from the dungeons," a deep voice interrupted her thoughts. Andromeda turned quickly and looked up to see a friendly face, a smile twisting upon her lips.

"I fancied a walk. And you?"

"I fancied a chat and saw you walking across the grounds, I hope you don't mind? We never did get to Hogsmeade." He leaned against the trunk of a tree with his arms folded across his chest, seemingly at ease.

"Mmm," she agreed with a slight frown. "Cissy won't let me alone. She's been following me everywhere."

"She isn't here now though is she?" he made a show of looking around, feigning concern.

"No, she's not," Andy shook her head. "Exchanging quick glances and vague pleasantries with you in the corridors isn't enough. Merlin forbid we sat and studied together or have a meal, she would become apoplectic. Thank Merlin she isn't here because she would never allow me the time that I want to spend getting to know you."

"You would like to get to know me?" he said as he gave her a lopsided smile. "And why is that?"

She laughed a little awkwardly, "I honestly don't know," her voice grew quiet and she dropped her gaze to the ground. "There's just something about you, like I recognised you the first time I ran into you."

It was his turn to laugh lines crinkling round his chocolate brown eyes, "The first time! Has there been more? I certainly don't remember them, and I am sure I would. Running into someone as beautiful as you doesn't happen to me every day."

"You… you think I am beautiful?" she blushed.

"How can you not know how beautiful you are?" he mused.

"My big sister Bella, she's always been the beautiful one, and all the boys like Cissy well with her pale complexion and blonde hair. In comparison…well…I'm just me," she shrugged.

He looked at her quizzically, "Bella? As in the same Bellatrix Black, who graduated two years ago?" she nodded. "Well I can't say there isn't a family resemblance there but well she…" his voice dwindled into silence as if he were unsure about how to go on without being offensive.

"She's stark raving mad," Andromeda said bluntly, looking him straight in the eye. To be honest he found that response more than a little disconcerting.

"Yes, that's definitely one way of putting it," He said as a smile pulled at his lips again as he changed the topic. "I didn't follow you here to talk about her though."

"Oh what did you want to talk about?" the shy smile graced her face again as she lifter her eyes to meet his.

"Well there's a Hogsmeade trip today and your sister is in the castle so….?" he hinted hopefully.

It was still for a moment in the little clearing at the edge of the forest, as Andromeda contemplated the consequences of the action her heart wanted to take. Deciding the potential benefits outweighed the risks, she reached out and grabbed his hand with her eyes twinkling.

"Well what are we waiting for?"

Ted grinned down at her as the pair walked off towards the village.

Back in the dungeons Narcissa had become impatient waiting for Andromeda to return from her walk, so she left the dungeons and the pile of waiting homework she had been ignoring, to search for her sibling. When supper time came, she was frustrated by her lack of success; surely someone couldn't just disappear in the castle. As Narcissa exited the staircase that led from the dungeons towards the open castle doors she was caught in the incoming flood of the students returning from Hogsmeade. A familiar laugh caught her attention. Scanning the throng, she spotted Andromeda's dark curls amongst the horde of heads to the side of the doors near the Great Hall. Approaching her sister, she noted the boy with whom she was talking, his tie indicated that he was a Hufflepuff, but his handsome face was not familiar. Not that Narcissa would admit to paying attention to the residents of that disgrace of a house. In any case this was not someone with whom Andromeda should be speaking. Questions such as how Andromeda had met the boy, briefly danced across Narcissa's mind before she summoned the courage to interrupt their conversation.

"Andy?" She called out, drawing the attention of the pair.

A blush colours Andromeda's cheek which was an incredibly unusual response from the typically stoic Black sister. The boy smiled, nodded to Andy, and then walked away to enter the Great Hall.

Andromeda's eyes followed Ted until he was hidden by the crowd. She soon returned her attention to her sister acknowledging her with a nod, "Cissy."

"I've been looking for you everywhere, where have you been?" came a quiet but determined query from the blonde.

"I went for a walk and then fancied a trip to Hogsmeade."

"You know you are supposed to go with one of us!" Narcissa hissed.

"I'm 18 already Cissy. I'm older than you. I don't need to be treated like a child," and without so much as a backwards glance Andromeda stalked into the Hall and walked towards her seat at the Slytherin table. Narcissa chased after her knowing that their Mother would want all of the details.

"Who was that boy, Andy? I demand to know." If she had been standing still Narcissa would have stamped her foot.

"That boy is none of your business Cissy," the tone was harsh and defensive,

one that Narcissa had never heard issued from Andy's mouth before.

"Andy, you know you can only date boys the family knows and approves of, and I DON'T know him," Narcissa's voice raised an octave.

"Who are you?" Andromeda whipped around to face her sister, hands on her hips. "Our Mother? Father? You don't know everyone! And you do NOT have the right to tell me what to do!" A long thin finger pointed at the blonde. "One day Narcissa you will fall in love and then you won't give a damn who tells you whether or not you can marry, as you would give your life just to be with that person for just one moment."

"Love! This isn't about love," Narcissa hissed "This is about family, and the family will decide who you are going to marry."

Andy glanced around to see if anyone was watching their disagreement before continuing in a tightly controlled voice, "I am of age now, so I can make that decision for myself, _thank you very much_. Why can't you just be happy that I have found someone I like! Bella is the oldest, she is marrying for the family, and you like Lucius Malfoy. I think you could even grow to love him, I see it in your eyes. Yes, even as young as you are and that is good, because when the family eventually arranges the marriage you will both be happy. I have found someone who I believe I could grow to care about, who might care about me in return. I don't know what will come of it yet, it may be nothing, but at least let me be happy for now," with a frustrated huff Andromeda turned her back on her sister and walked the rest of the way up the table to her seat.

Thinking on her sister's words, Narcissa followed after her and took a seat next to Lucius, who was deep in thought.

Ignoring the food on his plate, Lucius was deep in thought, changing and tweaking the plan, until it was perfect. He hadn't foreseen the difficulty caused by Severus' bond with the Mudblood. The boy might only be eleven but as a half-blood he would need to prove himself more so then the purebloods so it was time for the boy to start thinking about the direction his future would take. If he was serious about gaining power, and what Slytherin wasn't, Severus was going to need to break that attachment. Well, Lucius considered, at least he was there to guide the boy.

The Blonde's thoughts returned to the plan, a few notes should manipulate all the players into position. He had selected a secluded spot in the castle which was usually free of teachers and... well the rest would work itself out. It was a simple test really. The Dark Lord had come to Malfoy Manor and spoken with his father, Abraxas. His father in turn had informed him of the Dark Lord's wishes and instructed Lucius to seek out talented students, who could be trained to become valuable supporters of the Dark Lord's cause. Although they had suffered a disappointed with Sirius' defection to Gryffindor, they still believed his family ties would prevail, and were happy Lucius had been able to find a talented replacement in Severus, who agreed so readily to being trained.

"A Knut for your thoughts?" Narcissa's sweet voice interrupted him. He looked up at her as she continued, "Or are they more valuable than that? A sickle perhaps?"

"Nothing important, certainly not worth a knut," he smiled at his girlfriend. She was a gentle soul, knowing the viciousness of politics he hoped he would be able to keep her separate from it. "And how was your day?"

"Boring," she sighed. "I spent most of it in the dungeons and then I went looking for Andy and I found her with barely enough time to make it here for tea," she frowned.

"And what was her excuse for running away from her favourite sister?" In Lucius' opinion Narcissa should be everyone's favourite, after all she was beautiful, Andromeda appeared to be nice enough though plain to look at and who in their right mind would say Bella was their favourite _anything_?

"She went to Hogsmeade with a boy," Narcissa replied the frown still marring her looks.

Lucius raised his eyebrow "Heaven forbid she strolled around the village with a boy!" he smiled before noticing her furrowed brow. "Don't worry over it, it is probably nothing, she can go on a few dates here and there as long as she knows that when she goes home at the end of the year, she will be marrying whoever your father tells her to," he reasoned.

"You know, I'm not sure that's what she wants."

"Well she will have to accept there is no escaping it." Desert had appeared while they were conversing, and Lucius selected a piece of pie.

In a tremulous voice his girlfriend asked, "What if I'm told I can't marry you, what if I have to marry that Goyle boy or…."

Lucius turned and looked into her eyes for a moment before bending his head to whisper in her ear. "I have already spoken to Father about it; you have no cause for worry." Finally noticing the movement of the other students departing the hall Lucius straightened up and said, "Still that is a while off yet and things might change before that happens."

While Narcissa smiled back at him, reassured by his words she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't given her heart to the man at her side. The two finished their meal in comfortable silence and then headed back to the dungeons.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Plan Revealed

Long blonde haired flickered in the evening breeze as Lucius Malfoy made his way to the owlery thinking it best to use one of the school's owls for this task, as Rasputin was far too identifiable. When he entered, his own magnificent Eagle owl swooped down to greet him.

"Ras, this task is beneath you," he murmured as he ran a hand over its velvety black feathers.

Malfoy turned away from his familiar, who snapped at him somewhat spitefully and gave the two letters to one of the school's Barn owls. The Slytherin Prefect departed with a faint smile on his lips. 'Now,' he thought, 'to speak to the recruits.'

The next morning as the owls swooped over the breakfast tables in the Great Hall nothing appeared out of the ordinary. A Barn owl swooped low over the Gryffindor table and Lily was startled as it released its burden in front of her. The yellow parchment envelope landed with a soft plop onto the table near her tea. Reaching passed her porridge she quickly picked it up as she checked the addressee before stuffing it into her satchel. There was no time to read it now, so it would have to wait till after class. As she hurried from the hall she failed to notice that the owl had dropped a similar note in front of a dark-haired boy further up the table. The letter passed the day unopened and nearly forgotten in the depths of her bag, until she reached the library at the end of the day and emptied its contents onto a desk, in preparation for her evening's study session.

The letter slipped from between the pages of the book it had fallen into and dropped onto the desk. It appeared to be a plain parchment envelope, her name written on the front in a bold cursive script and a circular black wax seal with no insignia on the back. She released the wax with her nail and pulled out the single page.

 _Lily,_

 _Meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight._

 _Sev_

Strangely enough, she had just had double potions with Severus, and he hadn't mentioned anything, and the astronomy tower? People usually went up there to… well to kiss or so the rumours went, not really the sort of thing she imagined Sev thinking about, they had only just turned twelve after all. Was this even his writing? It didn't look familiar. Maybe she should go anyway, just to see?

Sirius opened the door to the boys' dormitory, James tumbling through the doorway behind him and threw himself onto his bed.

"Hey, I got a note this morning," there were unexcited mutters from around the room as Sirius pulled the letter from the front pocket of his bag.

"It's from Evans!" he added. This caught the attention of the other boys.

"Well that's strange," this from Remus "Let's have a look." He moved so he could read the note over Sirius' shoulder.

 _Sirius,_

 _Meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight._

 _Lily_

"It sounds a bit dodgy, I highly doubt that it's from Lily," was Remus' astonished response.

"Why? Felicia Horten tried to pull me into a broom cupboard just this morning," Sirius protested.

"Yeah but I bet you wouldn't have known what to do with her if she'd succeeded," teased James.

"'Like Little Miss Goody two shoes is actually gonna go out after curfew?" chuckled Peter.

"Maybe she wants to snog me. I'm pretty sure that was what Felicia was after."

"Maybe not," Remus said flatly as he shook his head.

"Well, I think she wants to snog me," Sirius pouted.

"She's eleven, and we know she doesn't like you!" Remus protested.

"Well actually she is twelve but still…." commented James.

"Um guys?" Peter interrupted. "You don't think it could have to do with the Slytherins?"

"Nah, I think they've forgotten about that."

"Maybe you should ask your cousin?" Remus said trying a different tactic, hopefully Sirius would listen to Andy.

"Alright, fine," Sirius grumped. "I'll find Andy, but I still don't know why you think Lily wouldn't like to snog me."

Remus made a funny coughing noise that sounded oddly like "prank."

The boys combed the castle looking for Andy and finally succeeded in tracking her down while she was walking towards the Great Hall for tea.

"Andy have you heard anything more about the Slytherins plans?" Sirius asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled his cousin into a deserted classroom.

"Sorry," she shook her head "I've been a little caught up, I have NEWTS this year. I haven't heard anything, but I doubt they have forgotten. Malfoy seemed serious about it."

"See, we should go with you?" James hissed at Sirius.

"Why are you asking? And where should they go with you?" Andy enquired.

They told her about the note with Remus voicing his concerns.

"Well you shouldn't be out after curfew anyhow but if you insist on going I don't see what's wrong with taking the guys with you. That way if Malfoy is there you have your friends close by and if Lily is there the guys can leave. Or you could approach Lily beforehand and ask."

"But I've never spoken to Lily!"

"Frankly that makes it even more suspicious that she would be sending you a note!" She admonished. "Do you know her writing? How do you actually know that it is from her? Has she given you any indication to believe that this could possibly be real?" Sirius shrugged, who knew how the minds of girls worked? Certainly not him.

Andy sighed before continuing, "I agree with Remus, I don't believe this letter is from her, you should just ignore it."

"OKAY," Sirius finally gave a compromise. "I'll take the guys with me." Deciding the discussion was over he changed the topic, " Anyway, what have you been up to Andy?"

"Well," Andy blushed "Ted and I went to Hogsmeade!"

"Really! How did the family take that?" Sirius asked in shock, at the thought of his somewhat shy cousin bucking the Family's values.

"They don't know," Andy laughed to hide how nervous she felt at the thought of her parents finding out. "Well Cissy does but I don't think she's told anyone" there was a pause, "yet. I told her it wasn't going to be a long-term thing but I really like him. I don't know what I am going to do."

"Keep it from the family as long as possible," he advised.

"At least until I graduate," she smiled in agreement. She added one last comment "In any case my advice is not to go tonight boys," and with that she left the room quietly.

Sirius waited until the door closed behind her before turning to the others to say with a cheeky grin, "So... we are going then?" He looked around at the group, and his friends nodded in return.

Lily had been unable to find Severus that afternoon, he hadn't shown up at the library and he wasn't at dinner. Giving in to curiosity Lily decided she would head to the Astronomy Tower as instructed on the note. When she returned to the common room she grabbed her favourite book and settled down to read while she waited.

It was eleven-thirty and all was quiet in the Common room as four boys trooped down the stairs from their dormitory and out passed the portrait. In their haste they failed to notice the small redheaded figure curled up in an armchair in front of the slowly dying fire. Lily watched them depart. She briefly wondered what they were up to, more mischief no doubt. At least if they were responsible for the note she would be walking behind them and could back away undetected before anything bad happened. After marking her place, she put her book down and followed them out of the portrait hole.

Lily crept cautiously along the corridors, at one point she had to hide behind a suit of armour to avoid discovery by Apollyon Pringle the caretaker who was patrolling the upper floors. She cautiously approached the stairwell that led to the Astronomy tower. Pausing at the bottom she recognised the quiet voices ahead of her; the boys were headed up to the Tower. It was a trick! Which of them had sent the note? Were they pranking Severus as well? She listened intently but could not make out what they were saying. She made up her mind; she wasn't going to fall for their prank, so she abandoned her quest and quickly returned to the Gryffindor Tower.

It was only a few minutes later that a short dark-haired boy and a tall blonde approached the Tower. As Severus and Lucius walked towards the corridor at the tower's base they too heard the voices emanating from above them and paused on the stairs to finalise their plan.

"It is a few minutes after midnight so Black should be up there with the Mudblood by now. It won't take long before they begin to argue then you will sneak up to the top of the stairs and cast the curse at her. Hurry back down as quickly as possible without being seen. We will return to the dungeons, where I will have been tutoring you all evening as witnessed by Avery and Nott. Do you understand?" whispered Malfoy. The younger boy glared at him, did Malfoy think he was dim? It wasn't that difficult a plan to remember.

"But why would Turpin argue with Black?" Severus whispered back.

"If they don't start arguing then you will have to send a tripping jinx at him so he falls into her. That should get them to fight. Now sneak up there and see what is going on!" Malfoy's face twisted into an evil smirk.

Severus carefully crept up the stairs without a sound and cautiously peered through the doorway. He could just make out four shadowy figures in the darkness at the top of the tower, from their voices Severus noted that they were all boys. He glanced back down at Lucius, and hissed, "There are four people up here! And none of them are girls."

Lucius appeared distracted and was glancing up the corridor away from the stairs, he looked back at Severus "Well get on with it, it doesn't really matter who you hit," he sneered.

As the voices became more animated Severus could just barely make out the words, he leaned forward to be able to hear better.

"I told you that note wasn't from her!" hissed one voice.

"I still think it was, but instead of wanting a snog she tricked me up here to get me caught out of bounds. She wants me to get detention as payback for our pranks."

"Lily wouldn't do that," the first voice maintained. They were expecting Lily! Severus gave a small gasp as he realised that Lucius had meant for him to curse her.

"Who is that by the door?" came the first voice again, alerting Severus to the fact he had crept too far forward and been spotted. He glanced down the stairs, unsurprisingly Lucius had disappeared.

"Well what have we here?" said James as he moved towards Severus. "What game are you playing at?"

"No game," said Severus thinking swiftly "I was just expecting Lily, is she here?" he tried to sound confident.

"So this is a prank on us then?" Sirius sneered, to think Evans and Snivellus thought they could prank him!

"No I just got a note from Lily, asking to meet here tonight."

"Well I'm leaving and I'll make Evans pay for setting me up like this." Sirius pushed his way passed Severus and walked towards the stairs.

Severus was furious, how could Black think that Lily would ever do anything to hurt someone? Despite how much they had pranked her she had not retaliated at all. It made him furious that they would blame this on her. He raised his wand and pointed it at Sirius' back momentarily forgetting the other boys. Black was as good a subject as any on which to try out the curse.

"Sirius, lookout!" yelled James as Severus muttered a spell. Soon after another voice rang from the top of the stairwell.

"Children out of bed!" an ancient voice hollered.

Sirius ducked as the beam of red light flashed over his head missing him and instead hitting the chest of Apollyon Pringle, who had appeared at the top of the stairs. The old man stumbled then fell forward and Sirius sprang forwards nearly managed to catch him but only succeeded in slowing his descent to the ground. James reacted instantly grabbing Severus by the shoulder, turning the boy towards him and punching Severus in the face producing a loud crack and causing his nose to bleed profusely. The Slytherin backed away until his back was against the side of the tower.

The four boys from Gryffindor, looked at the prone figure of the caretaker in shock.

"We can't just leave him like this. I guess we'd best get him to the hospital wing," Remus was the first to move.

They stood around Apollyon and each boy gathered a limb. Then they carried him down to the Hospital wing, leaving Severus alone in the tower. Placing the body gently on the floor outside of the hospital wing, the boys went to rouse, Madam Pomfrey.

"What happened?" her concerned eyes peered at them in the half-lit room.

"Um... he accidentally got hit with a spell," James volunteered.

Madam Pomfrey levitated the caretaker to a nearby bed and briefly examined him. Sternly she looked over at the anxious boys.

"Which of you cast this spell?" the Matron accused.

"None of us, it was.." Sirius began to speak before the door opened once more to reveal Severus with blood dripping down his face.

"…him."

Severus looked up at Madam Pomfrey, "I just tripped coming down the dormitory stairs, I had nothing to do with whatever this lot have been up to," he lied smoothly.

"I will have to inform Professor Dumbledore of this! He will get to the bottom of it in the morning. You four off to bed, you sit here… Episky, apply that ice to your nose for an hour and then you can go." She then returned to tending for the caretaker.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Fallout.

Lily woke early the next morning, as light streamed through a gap in the curtains that she had failed to completely close when she had finally slipped into bed. As she opened her eyes, Lily remembered the events of the night before and felt determined to seek answers from Severus or alternately the boys from Gryffindor. The four other girls in her dormitory were still sleeping peacefully, so she quietly prepared for the day and then headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Professor McGonagall approached her as just she was finished her toast.

"Miss Evans, the Headmaster would like to see you after breakfast in his office the password is Jelly Babies."

"Oh, Ok Professor. I've finished already. Would he be there now? I can see him and still make it to class on time."

"Yes, he will be waiting for you."

Hastily standing Lily departed the hall and hurried through the castle to reach the stone gargoyle that was the guardian for the Headmasters office.

"Jelly Babies," she whispered nervously as she approached it, whereupon the gargoyle leapt aside, revealing a slowly ascending circular staircase. Reaching the top of the steps, she found an oaken double door.

Before she had even raised her hand to knock, a voice came from within "Come in Miss Evans."

A row of five chairs sat in from of the Headmaster's desk, four of the five were currently occupied by the Marauders. As she took her place, Lily began to be suspicious that this meeting was about the goings on of the night before.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" Lily wasn't going to say anything to implicate herself.

"Take a seat, Miss Evans," said Professor Dumbledore, his face sombre. "What can you tell me about last night?"

"Last night, Sir?" Lily wondered how he knew she had been out of bed.

"Sirius has claimed that you sent him a note to meet him at the top of the Astronomy Tower." Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled through his half-moon spectacles as he leant on his steepled fingers.

"I did no such thing!" Lily was indignant, her face pale.

"Here is the note they received," he passed her the parchment.

"Did the envelope have a black seal?" she asked.

"Yes it did, see Professor she sent it to us, it's her fault!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Now let us not be hasty," Dumbledore interrupted. "Perhaps Miss Evans has more to say." Lily nodded.

"I received a note yesterday too, on parchment like this, sealed with black wax with no insignia. The writing looks the same to me," she looked down and began rummaging through her bag. After producing the note, she handed it to Dumbledore as she continued her explanation.

"It said for me to go and meet Severus at the top of the Astronomy Tower. I thought it was odd as I had seen Sev in class and he didn't mention wanting to meet up later. I also didn't think it really looked like his writing, but I couldn't find him when I went to ask him about it. So I went to the tower just to check. I heard voices on the stairs and recognised them as James and Sirius and thought that they were trying to pull a prank on me, to get me into trouble, so I went back to the common room," she looked into the Headmaster's eyes as she spoke.

"Oh please! You set this up! You and Snivellus were pranking me as revenge for the prank in the Great Hall," Sirius accused vehemently.

"Why should she aim revenge at just you? There were three of you involved in that incident were there not? And this was only aimed at you, Mr Black, and apparently Miss Evans herself," Professor Dumbledore cut in.

"But she hates me..." tried Sirius.

Dumbledore continued, "The writing on the two notes matches, so we can deduce that they were sent by the same person. I don't believe Miss Evans had any reason to send herself such a note."

"But sir! She had to have…." James interjected.

"Now, now, that is enough. You were all out after curfew, and the whole situation could have been avoided if you had ALL stayed in the Gryffindor Tower, or even more simply spoken with one another. Therefore, 10 points each will be taken from Gryffindor and you will all have detention, now off to class." It was clear that he would brook no further arguments and they were dismissed.

When Lily met with Severus in the library after classes, she wondered if she should ask him about the note, since clearly the Gryffindor boys were not the instigators of the incident. She decided against it, feeling that she had heard the whole story in the Headmaster's office that morning, and that some unknown person had tried to prank Sirius and herself. Probably thinking it funny to stir up more trouble between them. As he walked up to her she noticed he had a black eye and a swollen nose.

"What happened to you?" she gasped.

"Potter punched me."

"He what? When? Why?" she reached out hesitantly but stopped just short of actually touching the bruise.

Severus hesitated, he couldn't admit to it happening last night, she was too clever, she would figure out he was on the tower as soon as she heard that Marauders had been out too.

"Earlier, I just came back from seeing Madam Pomfrey," he lied.

"That bully, he, he.. argh," Severus was happy to see that Lily was furious. "You should report this to Dumbledore."

"It's ok I've seen him already," and indeed he had been called to Dumbledore's office earlier that day to explain the events of the night before. Severus had implied that he had accidentally happened to come across the boys in the tower and an argument ensued. However, he had been unable to deny that he had cast a curse during the disagreement, having been the only one to draw a wand, and had received several detentions of his own as a result. "He got given detention," Luckily, Potter was always in detention she would never know.

"Well ok," she seemed somewhat mollified and turned back to her books. After five minutes it was clear that she had lost her focus, "Argh, I don't think I'll manage to get any more work done, I can't stop thinking about what those horrid boys! Let's go for a walk before supper." With that Lily packed up her books and they left.

The next day five paper slips were delivered in the morning mail, advising the Gryffindors that their detention was to occur the following Saturday and they were to present themselves to Hagrid at the allotted time. When Saturday arrived, Lily wandered down to Hagrid's hut with the four boys trailing along behind her. Hagrid was standing out the front waiting for them.

"Mornin' Lily, been misbehavin' have we?" Hagrid chuckled "I thought you were better 'n that."

Lily ducked her head in slight embarrassment, "It was a bit of a misunderstanding, but I was out after curfew so fair is fair I suppose," her shoulders shrugged, in acceptance of her punishment.

"Boys," Hagrid greeted them. "Well you'll all be comin' inter the forbidden forest with me today, we need to collect some ingredients for Slughorn. The most important of which is Aconite. Do yeh all know what Aconite looks like?" He handed them each a canvas bag.

James, Sirius and Peter looked back at the half giant with blank faces, while Remus and Lily nodded.

"It's also called wolfsbane," Lily added trying to prompt their memories, Remus gave her a sideways glance. The other 3 boys still looked none the wiser.

"Fine. There's to be no muckin' about. Lily, Remus and Peter yeh head up the western path," he indicated where a trail could be seen heading into the woods. "There's a little cave system 'bout a mile in. Might be some pockets of it between there and the stream, once yeh hit the water, turn 'round n come back, don't try n cross it." He looked at them to emphasise his point. "Meet us back here in 2 hours, oh and yer path will take yeh close ter where the Unicorns run. They like ta hide near the caves so try not ta disturb 'em and if you see the centaurs tell 'em I wouldn't mind a chat."

"Right you pair," he turned his attention to Sirius and James. "We're followin' the North path, it takes us close ter the Acromantula nest, so no mucking a-bout!" he glowered from under his thick eyebrows. "Oy before I forget, can yeh all send up red flares?" They all nodded. "Well if yeh get separated or inter strife, send 'em up I'll come find yeh."

Lily and Remus exchanged an amused glance, as they headed off, with Peter following behind. The foliage closed in overhead as the trees became thicker over the deeper they walked into the forest and it soon became dark, with only the occasional beam of light breaking through. Tripping over unseen tree roots became an increasing problem.

"Lumos," said Remus from the front of the group, Lily and Peter quickly copied.

"Where do you think we will find it?" Peter asked by way of making conversation.

"Well, it is usually found in moist areas on the forest floor, so like around the base of trees, or growing out from under rocks where dew might collect, so pretty much anywhere in here is ideal, but Hagrid did say between the caves and the stream," Lily lectured, Peter screwed up his nose and turned away.

"How do you know so much about it?" Remus asked as he glanced back at her.

"Oh, it's an ingredient in a couple of potions I've been looking up, it tends to have a sedative effect," Lily replied. "I don't know how far it is to the stream, but I guess we'd best get a move on if we are going to make it there and back again in two hours."

"Um, did anyone check what the time was when we left?" Remus asked.

The three looked at each other and groaned.

"Ah well, I guess we have been in here about 15 minutes so it is ten twenty now, so we aim to be back by twelve, conveniently in time for lunch," offered Peter checking his watch. Lily and Remus agreed.

They shared a companionable silence as they wandered along, occasionally turning their wands to shine light into the forest on either side at intervals. Eventually they reached a slope with a series of caves set into one side.

"Well, I guess this is where the work starts," Lily said and she got down onto her knees and started investigating the base of the rocks at the entrance to a cave.

"Hey, look at this," she pointed out the long silver strands caught in a bush to the side of the opening. "Unicorn hair! Should we collect that as well? It's really useful."

"Why not," Remus agreed. "Here Pete, you see if you can gather it up while Lily and I look for the Wolfsbane."

It didn't take Peter long to gather up the strands and gently place them in the bottom of one of the bags Hagrid had given them. The others had no luck and after ten minutes searching the group decided to press on.

A faint noise caught Lily's attention and she slowed her pace, until the boys had moved ahead a reasonable distance and round a bend in the path, then she turned and looked back towards the caves. A movement from behind one of the trees caught her eye, a flick of a silver tail and then she heard a faint whinny.

She walked back stopping at the edge of the clearing that surrounded the caves, mystified at the sight before her. A herd of nearly a dozen unicorns was slowly walking out of the forest on her left and towards the caves. There were two small foals with shimmering golden coats, amongst the group. Lily froze hardly daring to breathe, not wanting to scare them away, hoping the boys would not come blundering back to find her and frighten the herd off.

The stallion caught sight of her and snorted. He stood two hands higher than the rest. The two foals gambled about on their knobbly legs. Lily smiled, they looked like a happy family. Knowing the longer she waited, the greater the chances of the boys returning, Lily slowly prepared to leave as quietly as possible. The smaller of the two foals spotted her, snuffling and snorting as he tumbled closer, looking between Lily and the mare that must be his Mother.

"It's ok," Lily crooned in a soft voice "I won't hurt you."

Seemingly intrigued by her tone, the curious foal came closer. Lily was captivated now.

"Oh, you are such a brave little thing, so precious," she cooed.

His eyes were coal black but soft like velvet, so openly trusting. Lily stretched out her hand towards him, and held it open with her palm facing down and fingers slightly curled under. He gently tapped her hand with his horn, Lily couldn't help but let out a small giggle, it seemed he wanted to play with her. Lily turned her palm to the side and he tapped it moving his head sideways. Slowly, Lily reached into her pocket with her spare hand and felt around for the biscuit she had stored there, breaking a piece off, she broke it and placed a piece on her now upturned palm. The foal looked at it carefully turning his head, sniffing and snuffling gently, his Mother gave a small whinny and a nod, he looked back at Lily's hand then bent his head and grabbed the piece of biscuit with his tongue before darting away. The foal's activities attracted the stallion's attention and he approached her cautiously, his muscles rippling as he walked, and Lily felt concerned. He could hurt her if he wanted to, though she knew he would only do so if he felt his herd was threatened. He sniffed her, and snickered- did he want some biscuit too? Lily broke off another piece and placed it on her palm, offering it to him. Just like the foal, he sniffed and snorted, the mare again whinnied and nodded, and he ducked his head, grabbing the biscuit with his tongue, leaving Lily with a very wet hand. The stallion consumed the titbit where he stood and then ever so gently tapped Lily on the top of her head with his horn, the spot tingled.

Then there was the sharp sound of snapping twigs and a footfall from further up the path behind her, startling the herd and they quickly disappeared into the forest.

"What was…" came Remus' voice.

"Did you see them?" Lily whispered, as she turned to face the approaching boys, her emerald eyes full of wonder.

"Were those unicorns?" Peter's overly loud voice broke the gentle stillness of the forest.

"Yes, did you see the foals?" Lily smiled.

"I think we came back too late for that, but I saw the one that was right near you knock you on the head! Are you ok? Why didn't you call us?" Remus asked.

"It was amazing," Lily couldn't wipe the grin off her face. "There were two foals, their coats were golden and they were playing around so sweetly. Sorry I didn't call, I thought they might get scared away. They prefer girls after all."

"Well playing with unicorns won't get the job done I guess," Peter muttered.

Lily laughed, "I like that saying Pete I think I'll have to borrow it!" She took in a deep breath and grinned at her housemates, it seemed nothing could destroy her good mood.

"We found more caves just up ahead as well, they're a bit bigger so we think they must be the ones that Hagrid was talking about."

"Lead the way."

The group trundled up the slight incline and at the apex came to the opening of a cave large enough for them to stand inside.

"Did you guys notice it smells like," Lily sniffed, "wet dog in here?"

"Yeah, we think that maybe there are wolves that use this place as a den," Remus agreed.

"But there aren't any real wolves in Scotland! Do you mean like werewolf wolves, as in when a pair of werewolves mate, and they have puppies?"

Remus glanced away as he replied, "Yeah I heard old Hagrid took in a couple of litters a few years back. It doesn't happen often, and it is even rarer they survive and when they do they have problems homing them."

"Hmm, well there you go. I guess the rumours of werewolves roaming the forest are true," she was careful not to look at Remus. He would tell her when he was ready and he was unlikely to do so in company. "Well," she continued looking at the ground "there is unlikely to be any wolfsbane here, so onward we go."

Fifteen minutes later, the trio was clambering over rocks on the downward side of the slope. They could see a glittering in the distance that they assumed to be the stream. The path led them down into a small gulley where dappled light fell on the detritus.

"Looks just the spot," Lily muttered.

Remus pulled a leaf off a plant, Lily noticed his hand shook slightly as she took it from him.

"Yep, that's what we are after," she glanced at Remus. "Hey, I see there's some snakeweed over there," she pointed out the plant. "How about you pick some of that while we're here? Peter and I can get the Aconite. Pull a couple of whole plants up Peter, the roots are useful as well." Peter glanced towards Remus and when the other boy nodded, shrugged and began collecting the plants.

As they gathered the plants, carefully placing them into Hagrid's bags, Lily slipped some of the plants into her own bag. It would help her parents save on her potions supplies for the next year, she told herself. Once they had filled the bags they started their trek back, wondering if the others had been as successful. By the time they had trudged back to the caves they were sweltering and flushed from their exertions. Lily lingered at the spot briefly and seeing some more unicorn hair had caught in the bushes she gathered it up adding it to her own bag. Staying on the path they made their way back and exited the forest near Hagrid's hut to find the others waiting for them. Hagrid looked decidedly disgruntled.

"I was just about ter come and find you lot, yer late!" he grumbled.

"Sorry Hagrid, it's my fault," Lily blushed "There were unicorns! So, I got a little distracted."

He couldn't help but laugh at her excited squeak.

"Is that so? Well I hope yeh found what we were lookin' for."

"Yes and we got snakeweed and some unicorn hair as well," piped up Peter, who was as eager to please as always. The group handed their bags over to Hagrid who looked delighted with their efforts.

"Well Slughorn will be happy then won't he. Right you lot off ter the castle, yer all filthy," he laughed as he dismissed them, and turned to head back into his hut with the bags slung over his shoulder, leaving the group to make their way back to the castle.

"So what did guys get up to then?" Remus enquired of James, who chuckled before replying as they walked along.

"Well we followed Hagrid for a bit, but we got hot and bored so we sat down for a rest and then we headed off into the forest. Do you know what acromantulas are?"

"Ginormous spiders?" guessed Remus.

"Right! Well apparently, there is a massive nest of them right in the middle of the forest, so we went off to find them," Sirius grinned.

"Oy, are you mental!" Peter was horrified at the thought.

"Well maybe a bit," James shrugged, "but we only came across one, it was nearly as big as me! Anyway, we dropped a couple of dung bombs which distracted it and then hightailed it back in the direction we thought the path was in, only to run head first into Hagrid. Who apparently had noticed we were missing and started to look for us. You should have seen the look on his face!" both boys laughed.

"Not that we could see much of it under all that hair," chortled Sirius drawing chuckles from the other boys.

"What about you guys? Anything exciting?"

"Nah, Evans played with the unicorns and we found a wolves den. Then we gathered the wolfsbane and came back."

"Played with the unicorns? Pull the other one!" Sirius gaped.

"Nah honest, she even fed the biggest one and he tapped her on the head with his horn!"

"She's not all that bad you know," added Peter, Sirius and James scoffed at the thought.

The boys had forgotten about Lily who was walking quietly behind the group not close enough to intrude but certainly close enough to hear (not that they were making any effort to keep their voices down). She smiled to herself at the memory, certain in the depths of her soul that this would not be the last she saw of the unicorns. It also appeared that not all the boys were as bad as they seemed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Marauders

The sound of an argument could be heard throughout the Gryffindor common room.

"I still don't get what you see in her, she's still hanging round Snivellus!" Sirius sniped.

"She helps me study, okay, she understands potions, and is really good at explaining the things I don't get. As for Snivellus, she's just too trusting, besides he isn't going to be there anyway. He doesn't need to study for potions. The exams are coming up and I don't want to fail, just because you guys don't like her." Remus was red in the face and frustrated. He couldn't see why James and Sirius were so upset by his continued friendship with Lily.

"Right," said Sirius "You need to choose mate, are you with us or against us? You know there's no chance of you failing any subject, you're the brains of this outfit. Besides Pete here is pretty good at potions if you feel you must go over anything, so ditch the witch and stay up here! We won't distract you from your studying and when you are finished we will plan an end of term prank."

Remus hesitated and sighed, knowing he had lost this argument.

"Alright, but I am going to the library anyway to tell her that I can't study with her," Sirius raised his eyebrows.

Remus explained, "Not to, would just be plain rude, and she's always been nice to me even after the itching powder incident."

As Remus walked out the door, Sirius shot James a sly look.

"Oi, I think our boy Remmy fancies someone."

"Really?" said James looking surprised "Well I don't think Evans fancies him back."

"What makes you say that?" Peter who had been ignoring the argument in favour of reading through his notes, looked over at his friend.

"Well she….. I think she is just using him, you know, to get us back for pranking her. Mark my words, their 'friendship' will end in disaster."

"You really think she is planning something?" Peter wrinkled his nose in thought.

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Yeah, but I'm not a girl, they think different to us."

James waived away Peter's remark. "Well, more importantly we need to come up with a group prank, if we have a good idea by the time Remus gets back then the jobs half done." He motioned for Sirius to grab Peter's book on hexes and jinxes off his bedside table and to pass it over. "Here what about Colovaria- it changes the colour of things, we could change the decorations at the feast, or we could change the ceiling of the hall," Sirius read leaning over the messy-haired boys shoulder.

"Or we could change the colour of everyones hair!"

"Well it's probably easier to do that with a potion but getting it in the food could be difficult, let's save that for next year."

"Or maybe we could use the floating charm on the candles in the Great Hall instead," Peter started to suggest.

"Well that's stupid, they already have the floating charm on them."

"I meant, to re-arrange them, make them spell something out, or float higher, or land on the tables, or…."

"So we could change the colour of the decorations to red and gold, and make the candles spell out Gryffindor's the best!"

"Yeah exactly, we know that Ravenclaw are going to win the house cup, but if we could do it before everyone gets there…"

"I like it!" Sirius agreed. "So what spells are we going to need for that?"

James shrugged, "We'll need Remus to figure those out. Speaking of which, he should have been back by now."

"Two knuts says that he got distracted and started studying while he was in the library," Peter chuckled.

"No-one here is going to take that bet Pete," replied Sirius.

"You know I think I'll head down there to let Remus know and we can start looking up what spells we need," said James.

"Hmmm… maybe you're the one that fancies the red-headed!" teased Sirius.

"Yeah right!"

Dreams of another trip to see the Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest were lost amongst the nerves leading up to exams. Lily worried endlessly about proving herself worthy and spent long hours in the library studying. She sequestered herself in an armchair she had found in the back corner. That way she was out of sight of Madam Pince, and away from the tables filled with anxious Fifth and Seventh years, who were busily studying for their O. and N.E. . She was sitting on the floor using the chair as a table and practicing turning a pencil into a hair comb with pearl fringing and back, when Remus found her, he had been delayed looking for a text book, James following close behind. Remus smiled at the expression of concentration on her face as she worked.

"What's that?" James reached over and snatched up the pencil as she was about to say the incantation.

"Argh," Lily looked up with a start. "It's a pencil." She rolled her eyes. He seemed fascinated.

"A pencil? What does it do?"

"You write with it, but in this case I am transfiguring it into a hair comb," Lily explained.

"But we never did that in class," he frowned.

"So," Lily shrugged. Why should he care what she did?

"So why are you doing it?"

"To see if I can!"

"What!" He seemed surprised; his eyes wide as he looked at her, he turned and exchanged a glance with Remus, who merely laughed at his expression.

"I want to know if the theory works on other objects not just the matchsticks to pins. It's still basic inanimate to inanimate transfiguration so it should work, and it's good practice. I expect the exam will be a bit more difficult, maybe animate to inanimate but I don't have any beetles, bugs, or small invertebrate animals to practice with. I've found a spell that might summon some but I'll try that later."

Remus nodded in understanding and sat down beside her, glancing sheepishly at James as he did so. "Can I study with you?" the blonde asked in his quiet way, figuring he could make it up to Sirius later.

"Sure," Lily was surprised when James sat down as well. "What do you guys need to study?"

"Potions please."

She smiled as she tucked away the pencil and rifled through her bag for her potions notes "Of course, now Slughorn has dropped a few hints, so I think we will have to make a basic forgetfulness potion."

The two boys looked at her blankly, finally James spoke. "How did you figure that out?"

"I listen in class," she replied. Seeing their continued blank looks she added, "At the end of class on Friday just as everyone was packing up he said that we should make sure to remember how to forget. He's not exactly subtle."

"That could mean anything!" scoffed James.

"Well it could," she said with a shrug, "but he'd mentioned studying for exams just before that, so just take it as a hint, it doesn't bother me if you don't, but you can use it to help learn about how the ingredients work anyhow."

"How so?" Remus' interest was piqued.

"Hmmm well, think about what makes you forgetful, yeah?"

"I forget stuff when I am tired."

She nodded, "So then by extension, things that make you tired may also make you forgetful."

"You can't put studying into the cauldron though," said James.

She laughed slightly at James' comment "No, but the potion has camomile and valerian in it, which are two ingredients which are also used in sleeping draughts. In fact, muggles even make tea out of them to help with sleeping."

"Ah I see the connection."

"The same can be said for the movements, how does your brain feel when you are forgetful?"

"Hmm either sluggish or just kind of mixed up like I can't focus."

"Exactly so stirring should be slow and rhythmical, kind of soporific, but it requires a hotter temperature so the boiling mixes things up." He nodded at her explanation.

Remus looked between the two shaking his head, a year of conflict and here they were discussing potions civilly- who would have thought.

"So," Lily continued, "If you look at the ingredients and you know what they do, you get an idea of the types of potions they can be used in. It's like studying for multiple facets of the subject at once, it will be useful later when we are working on antidotes and will also be helpful in herbology."

"You've been looking at antidotes already?"

"Well I can't afford to fail, I'm not like you guys," she said simply.

Not quite understanding what she meant, James and Remus ignored the comment and turned the conversation back to their studies.

Two hours later, when the sun was beating through the small window above them, Lily decided she needed a break from studying and headed out to stroll round the grounds. Remus looked over at James.

"Told you she wasn't so bad."

"A complete bore though," James huffed, not wanting to admit he had been enjoying himself.

"I don't know, you seemed pretty interested when you were talking about potions," Remus called his bluff.

"She's still a know it all."

"I think it is more like she said, she has something to prove."

"Whatever," James shook his head. "I'm done studying. Let's find the others and practice for the prank."

The Monday morning of exam week dawned, clear and warm, a light breeze blew across from the forest and the first years sighed as they looked out the windows longing to roam the grounds or paddle in the black lake along with the Fifth and Seventh year students, whose exams had now ended. Upon entering the classroom for each theory exam the eleven year olds were issued with a special quill charmed by Flitwick himself against cheating. The practical exams followed, and Lily was proven to be correct- in Transfiguration they had to transfigure beetles into brooches, in Potions they were required to make a forgetfulness potion from memory and Flitwick asked them to charm a kitten to fly across the room. Then they were free to enjoy their last few days while awaiting the end of year feast and exam results.

Lily hurried down the path to Hagrid's Hut enjoying the feeling of the breeze in her hair for the first time in a fortnight, passing the four rowdy boys that were relaxing under the beech tree.

"Hiya Lily," Remus called as she passed, she waved in reply.

"Hagrid," she called as she pounded on his door.

"Eh, ello Lily," he grinned as he opened the door. "Just got ta duck into the forest for a bit, been meaning to talk to Aragog, did yeh want ter come?"

The huge smile that spread across her face was enough of an answer.

"How were yer exams?"

"I think I passed everything, but I am still worried about not doing well enough. What if they say I can't come back next year?"

"Ah there's no worries about that then, as long as yeh pass."

She had to run to keep up with his great strides, as he took the North path into the forest.

The forest closed in around them and Hagrid requested she light her wand. Knowing she would soon be back in a world where she wasn't allowed to do magic she enthusiastically complied. After half an hour of walking Hagrid left the path heading towards the West and the pair continued traipsing through the undergrowth. Lily could see a fallen branch ahead and just past it the trees seemed to be shrouded in darkness.

"'ere we are," Hagrid said, he turned his head to look at her "Now Aragog, can be a bit scary, but he won't hurt yeh so long as yer with me, alright?" Lily looked at him and nodded, her eyes full of trust. "Aragog!" Hagrid called, out of the darkness came an arachnid of massive proportions, towering over Hagrid.

"Hagrid. Do you come bringing fresh meat?" The beast's eyes swivelled to look at Lily.

"Yeah," Hagrid opened his pack and pulled out some lumps of meat that had been wrapped in newspaper. "Aragog, I'd like yeh ter meet Lily, she's from up at the school," he said as he threw the chunks up into the air.

Lily heard a clicking noise and there was movement in the treetops that caused the still air to stir in the still air. The meat did not fall back to the ground. Lily then witnessed what was probably the strangest discussion she had ever seen, as the giant of a man conversed with the monstrous spider. It seemed surreal to see them discussing the weather and all manner of topics such as the state of the forest (Centaurs are getting unruly) to the new generation of spiders that had been born (Oh ain't they sweet and only the size of a Pekinese!), and then the visit came to an end and Lily and Hagrid made their way back to the path.

"Now the trick with any beast," Hagrid informed Lily as they found the path again, "is ta know how ter calm it, with Aragog, yeh just bribe him with meat. Always hungry those spiders!"

The night of the end-of-year feast Lily walked down to the Great Hall alone, she had been hoping to catch Severus before he entered the hall. It felt like she hadn't seen him for ages, certainly it had been before exams, he had said that he preferred to study alone and had consequently avoided the library which was her usual haunt. She saw him in the corridor, as she was coming down the last staircase.

"Sev! Have you got a second?" she called out to him. He looked up and smiled as he waited at the bottom of the staircase for her to run down the last few steps.

She gave him a brief hug, returning his smile. "I haven't seen you forever, how were your exams?"

"They were fine," he shrugged.

"Well I guess we will know tomorrow, I overheard some second years saying that the results will be posted in the morning. Then I'll know if I can come back next year," her worry briefly flashed across her face.

A chuckle from behind them caused her to turn, coming face to face with a laughing Sirius.

"They won't throw you out, unless you failed. How thick are you Evans?" he jeered, "Will we be free from you next year?"

She frowned as he continued to laugh at her. "Just because your results don't matter to you! ugh." She grabbed Severus' hand, pulling him towards an empty corridor, "Come on Sev." When they were out of earshot of the Gryffindors, Lily restarted the conversation. "What if I've failed, Sev," she looked at her friend for reassurance.

"Lily," he took both of her hands in his. "There is absolutely no way that you will have failed. I promise. Even if you had forgotten all the answers to all the questions in all of the exams. Your marks just from your assignments was already enough to pass."

"If you say so Sev, though I'm still going to worry. Anyway that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Will I see you on the train? It's just that I get the feeling you've been avoiding me."

"I've just been busy Petal," he reassured. "You know I like studying by myself, so I found a little corner in the Common Room to hole up in till exams were done. We could go for a walk tomorrow, and then of course we will share a compartment on the train, and you know I'll be round yours on the holidays."

"That's sounds good, Sev, I've just missed you loads," she let his hands go and indicated towards the hall. "We'd best go in before they eat all the food."

The Great Hall had huge banners floating above the candles, but instead of being the expected blue and bronze of Ravenclaw they were red and gold. As she made her way to the table she noticed two dark and two light headed boys in fits of giggles - a prank she thought rolling her eyes, still at least no-one was getting hurt. She turned her attention to the head table as Dumbledore entered the room, he noticed the decorations with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"And here we are at the end of another year," Dumbledore commenced his speech and then paused, eyes looking upwards. All the candles in the room were rising towards the enchanted ceiling, which had now been coloured scarlet. The candles seemed to swarm like hundreds of fireflies to form a picture of a lion, which let out an impressive roar. Unfortunately, the sound shook the candles, causing the melted wax to fall. It cooled quickly as it fell and drifted like flakes of snow onto the students below.

"A lovely display," Dumbledore clapped his hands and instantly the hangings changed into the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw and the candles flew back to their original places.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter glanced at each other ruefully, fully expecting to be called up for punishment, however Dumbledore just continued on with his speech.

"I hope you have learnt much this year that will guide you into the future. To our departing students we wish you all the best in the world outside of Hogwarts. To those that will return, you have the whole of the summer to make space in your heads for more learning before September. Now to award the House Cup, the points stand thus: in fourth place Hufflepuff with three hundred and forty-one points, in third Gryffindor with three hundred and ninety-five points, in second place Slytherin with three hundred and ninety-nine points and in first place Ravenclaw with four hundred and ten points. I don't believe I have seen a closer house cup in twenty years, so congratulations to Ravenclaw."

Claps and cheers burst from the Ravenclaw table, accompanied by the polite applause from the rest of the school.

"Now to eat." The Headmaster took his seat and once again food appeared on the platters, up and down the lengths of the tables, and a merry buzz filled the hall.

The next day the lists of exams results were posted with Lily topping every class, tying with Severus in Potions, and James in Transfiguration. James, Sirius and Remus all jostled for places in the top five. Peter also performed well and managed to finish in tenth in most subjects. It seemed only a heartbeat later that their drawers were empty, trunks packed, and they were waiting for the horseless carriages to take them back down to the train station.

Severus and Lily again found Nerida tucked up in a compartment down the back of the train and the two settled in to read all the way back to London.

In a compartment near the middle of the train, in fact the very same compartment in which they had met. Four boys discussed plans in hushed whispers.

"How about a mass dung bomb attack on the compartments with the Slytherins in them? They are all together at the back of the train," Peter suggested.

The door to their compartment suddenly opened and they fell silent instantly, with 'we wouldn't hurt a flea' expressions plastered across their faces. A girl with familiar curly black hair entered closing the door behind her.

"Andy! What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be down the back of the train with Narcissa?" asked Sirius.

"I came to tell you something, cousin," she said solemnly.

"I should probably warn you first. When you are done don't go and sit with the Slytherins," Sirius grinned at her.

She smiled back, knowing his mischievous nature she would heed the advice. "Well I actually came in here with news for you." She settled into the seat beside him.

"You're running away from home with Ted and going to live in the Amazon?" Sirius guessed.

"Nearly. Ted asked me to marry him and we are going to elope. So I am running away. We are going to apparate straight from the platform to his parent's house, hopefully before Mother and Father see me. If you see me in trouble feel free to provide a distraction," she smiled back at him wryly.

"Wow, Andy, are you ready for that? That is going to be a huge deal! When's the wedding, can I come?"

She laughed at his enthusiasm. "Well no, that is the point of eloping, though I do suggest you get out of the house as much as possible this summer. At least this way some of the family anger will directed at me so you won't have to bear it all." Her eyes glistened as she looked at Sirius, "You're my favourite cousin so I just wanted you to know. I may not get to see you again." Andromeda gave him a hug goodbye, wiped the moisture from her eyes and slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

"Wow," said Sirius shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's alright Sirius, I'll invite you over to mine for the holidays. Actually, I'll check with Mum and I'm sure you can all come!" said James.

"You really think you folks will say yes?"

"Yep, no problem."

"Back to the prank at hand," piped up Peter. "Dung bombing, Slytherins!"

"Well dung bombs are good but," James stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Is it enough?"

"How about a hair colour change as well, so they all have blue hair for the holidays?"

"Come on our spells won't last that long, it'll be a week max, besides how do we get them all at once?"

"Lock them in, I think the spell is colloportus and we would have to do it compartment by compartment, if we go in pairs we should be able to get 2 compartments at a time. There are approximately ten Slytherins per year, seven years so 70 Slytherins in total. At six per compartment that is eleven compartments with four left over so round it up to twelve compartments, so six hits for each pair," Remus rapid fired the logistics of the operation at the others, who stared in awe at his genius. "So who is in charge of the dung bombs and do we need to practice the colovaria pilus charm?"

Several hours later the train was calm, the witch with the trolley had been and gone. London was less than an hour away. Lily had bought more Chocolate frogs- her Dad would love these for his birthday and all seemed quiet, as the train made its way past the green fields and small cottages.

Suddenly, there was a double bang and a rotten smell began to waft through the carriages. A minute later, the sound recurred, this time accompanied by shouts. Lily and Severus began to wonder if they should go and see what was going on as they heard another Bang Bang. Nerida looked up from the book she was reading.

"I think it would be best to wait and see," she advised in a dreamy voice.

A few moments later the door to their compartment was yanked open and a fizzing dung bomb accompanied by a stream of smoke was thrown into the room. After the door slammed shut and their coughing subsided, the three noticed their changed hair.

"Potter," screamed Lily as she jerked on the door, which wouldn't open. "Argh, Alohomora!" it sprang open and she ran out into the corridor.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had just shut the door on the very last compartment and turned to see the furious girl, her usual red locks now an iridescent blue.

"You horrid loathsome little prats, you can't just go marauding round the castle and through the train like that. You'll jolly well hurt someone, now change us back!" the boys laughed at her indignant cries.

Nerida stuck her head out of the compartment. "Oh I don't know, I kind of like this look," her hair now perfectly matched her eyes.

The four boys broke into gales of laughter, as the train pulled up to platform 9 ¾.

"Lookin' good for summer Evans!" Sirius chuckled before pushing past her to return to his compartment.

James had a thoughtful expression on his face as the four gathered their trunks.

"Marauding round the castle." He murmured, then a smirk spread over his face "Hey guys, that's just us isn't it? We go marauding over the castle. We are The Marauders!"


End file.
